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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda Report - March 15, 2017 C-13TM CITY OF LODI COUNCIL COMMUNICATION AGENDA ITEM C-/3 AGENDA TITLE: Authorize Mayor to Provide Letter of Support for the Lodi District Chamber of Commerce's Application to the CommunityWlNS Grant Program MEETING DATE: March 15, 2017 PREPARED BY: Community Development Director RECOMMENDED ACTION: Authorize Mayor to provide letter of support for the Lodi District Chamber of Commerce's application to the CommunityWlNS Grant Program. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The City of Lodi's Neighborhood Services Division has been working in collaboration with the Lodi District Chamber of Commerce in the development and implementation of an Asset - Based Community Development (ABCD) initiative within Lodi's Eastside Heritage District. ABCD represents a change in the City's philosophy and approach in addressing issues within the community. Whereas needs -based community development emphasizes local deficits and looks to outside agencies for resources, ABCD focuses on honing and leveraging existing strengths within the community, recognizing the following guiding principles: • Everyone has gifts: Each person in a community has something to contribute. • Relationships build a community: People must be connected in order for sustainable community development to take place. • Citizens at the center: Citizens should be viewed as actors—not recipients—in development. • Leaders involve others: Community development is strongest when it involves a broad base of community action. • People care: Challenge notions of "apathy" by listening to people's interests. • Listen: Decisions should come from conversations where people are heard. • Ask: Asking for ideas is more sustainable than giving solutions. • Inside -out organization: Local community members are in control. • Institutions serve the community: Institutional leaders should create opportunities for community - member involvement, then "step back". 4,00,4 APPROVED: or -en Schwa: '� r, City Manager p Chamber of Commerce CommunityWlNS Grant March 15, 2017 Page 2 of 2 The Neighborhood Services Division has identified a funding source through the Wells Fargo/U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) Community Working/Investing in Neighborhood Stabilization (CommunityWlNS) Grant Program. The goals of this grant program are to, 1) assist cities with the opportunity to invest, strengthen and promote long-term economic prosperity, and 2) to support local non- profit partners to cities of all sizes nationwide. The grant awards are aimed to recognize outstanding mayoral -based initiatives that can assist their city in promoting economic growth and to share these best practices to assist other cities in developing local programs in their communities. Two grants awards are made in each city population category, with Lodi falling within the "small city" category. The grant award amounts for that category would be $150,000 for the winning application and $50,000 for the runner up. The only requirements for the City in this application is to have the Mayor provide a letter of support for the non-profit and the proposed activity, and for the Mayor or their designee to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting in June of 2017 if their non-profit is awarded funding. Proposed Activity — Neighborhood Leadership Academy The Neighborhood Leadership Academy, an Asset -Based Community Development (ABCD) program would be offered through a collaborative effort between the City of Lodi Neighborhood Services Division and the Lodi District Chamber of Commerce. This proposed multilingual program would assist grassroots residents and provide them with the skills, knowledge and resources they need to make a difference in the quality of life of their community. The Academy would be free to participants and would be funded primarily through the CommunityWlNS grant, with some supplemental funding through the Community Development Block Grant Program. This Academy is intended to help local community members: • Improve their communication skills; • Identify the assets that exist within their community; • Recognize the benefits of diversity; • Create innovative solutions for improving their neighborhoods; • Identify resources and partnerships; • Apply for grants through another mayoral -based Love Your Block campaign; • Plan and complete community projects; • Gain confidence as public speakers; • Meet and build relationships with local community, government and non-profit leaders. The Academy is intended to cultivate leadership within the Eastside Heritage District community and further develop and strengthen a more sustainable model of community development. FISCAL IMPACT: Not applicable. FUNDING AVAILABLE: Not applicable. Community Development Director SS/jw J:\Community Development\Council Communications \2017\3-15 Letter of Support for Chamber of Commerce_kjc doc CITY COUNCIL DOUG KUEHNE, Mayor ALAN NAKANISHI, Mayor Pro Tempore MARK CHANDLER BOB JOHNSON JOANNE MOUNCE CITY OF LORI CITY HALL, 221 WEST PINE STREET P.O. BOX 3006 LODI, CALIFORNIA 95241-1910 (209) 333-6702 / FAX (209) 333-6807 www lodkaov cityclerk(a.lodi.gov March 16, 2017 2017 CommunityWlNS Judging Panel c/o USCM 1620 Eye Street NW Washington D.C. 20006 STEPHEN SCHWABAUER City Manager JENNIFER M. FERRAIOLO City Clerk JANICE D. MAGDICH City Attorney To Whom It May Concern, I am both pleased and enthused to provide this letter of support for Leadership Lodi Partners in Education's (LLPiE) application to the CommunityWlNS grant program. The LLPiE's application to fund the Lodi Coalition for Asset -Based Community Development (ABCD) project will allow for the implementation of the Neighborhood Leadership Academy and the Love Your Block programs. These programs are part of a community initiative that I am heading up during my term as Mayor, so they have my full endorsement. As a Council Member, and now as Mayor, I have been a strong proponent of the asset-based community development initiatives within our community, as they provide us the best opportunity to improve our Eastside Heritage District and support citizen -driven community improvement projects. We are looking to assist neighborhoods, made up primarily of minority residents, which are dealing with an extremely high concentration of poverty, high unemployment, and declining median household incomes. Fortunately, these neighborhoods also feature a citizenry that is fully engaged and wants to take an active role in improving the conditions. These multilingual programs will assist grassroots residents and provide them with the skills, knowledge and resources they need to make a difference in the quality of life of their community. Most importantly, we are developing future leaders of our community who will learn the skills necessary to take these programs on as their own and allow for a more -sustainable progress and success. The implementation of ABCD within our community is a collaborative effort between the City of Lodi's Neighborhood Services Division and local non -profits, such as LLPiE. Through this collaboration, we have been able to take advantage of special community engagement training from the Institute for Local Governments (ILG) and have made great strides in bringing our local minority community in to be more participatory in meetings and activities that affect them. Our Neighborhood Services Division has provided over $10,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to this effort so far, in the form of staff time and covering the costs of Spanish-language interpreters and the translation of materials. In support of this grant application, they are committing $13,000 in CDBG funding for each year of the program. I truly believe that our staff and our local non -profits have done an incredible job in the implementation of ABCD within our community, and with the help of your grant funding, we can better develop the skills and talents of our local community residents and grow them into leaders who will take these programs on as their own. My fellow Council Members and I, our City staff and local community- based organizations, and the citizens of our Eastside Heritage District truly look forward to the opportunity to have you visit Lodi and celebrate the success that you will have made possible. Sincerely, oug KLAVne Mayor, City of Lodi DK/pmf