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Minutes 12-07-21 Special Meeting Minutes of the City Commission Special Meeting Held Online Via the GoToWebinar Platform and In-Person at the City Hall Commission Chambers 100 East Ocean Avenue, Boynton Beach, Florida On Tuesday, December 7, 2021, at 3:30 P.M. Present: Mayor Steven B. Grant Lori LaVerriere, City Manager Vice Mayor Woodrow L. Hay James Cherof, City Attorney Commissioner Justin Katz Tammy Stanzione, Deputy City Clerk Commissioner Christina L. Romelus Commissioner Ty Penserga 1. Openings A. Call to Order — Mayor Steven B. Grant. Mayor Grant called the meeting to order at 3:33 p.m. Roll Call Deputy City Clerk Stanzione called the roll. A quorum was present. The Invocation was given by Vice Mayor Woodrow Hay. Pledge of Allegiance to the flag led by Mayor Steven B. Grant. Agenda Approval: 1. Additions, Deletions, Corrections 2. Adoption Mayor Grant announced the public would have an opportunity to speak on Item 1B before the Commission's vote on the ARPA Spending Framework recommendations. Motion Motion duly made and seconded to approve the agenda as presented. The motion passed unanimously. B. Approve Staff American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Spending Framework recommendation presented by David Scott, Director of Economic Development and Strategy, City of Boynton Beach. David Scott, Director of Economic Development and Strategy, briefly presented the framework for approval. An overview of the (ARPA), the American Rescue Plan Act, was provided. They will discuss public outreach efforts to date, about the alignment with the Meeting Minutes City Commission Boynton Beach, FL December 7, 2021 FIU community, needs assessment, shared feedback from non-profits, and provide information regarding available funding and recommendations around the implementation framework. As a reminder to the public, Mr. Scott stated the American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law on March 11, 2021, and was established as the U.S. Department of Treasuries Coronavirus Local Funding Recovery Funds. Several objectives were supported to urgent Covid response efforts, to replace lost revenue for eligible State and Local Territorial Tribal Governments. It was also to support economic stabilization for households and businesses. The last objective was to address systemic public health and economic challenges for under-served communities. Within that framework, the City of Boynton Beach was allocated $13,647,904. The Treasury entered a final rule on May 17, 2021, and within the rule, they determined what those funds could be used for. They were to support public health expenditures in response to Covid-19, address negative impacts to economically disadvantaged communities, replace lost public sector revenue, provide premium pay for essential workers, and invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure. The City of Boynton Beach sought public input by various methods. John Durgan, Economic Development Manager, went over some of the public outreach conducted for the ARPA. They held two public input meetings for the public, the first on September 30, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. in the Commission Chambers, which was a hybrid meeting. The second meeting was held on October 28, 2021, at Fire Station #3, which was in-person only. Another input meeting was open to the public but geared towards non-profit providers, was held to get input as they provide essential services within the City. They are currently holding the City Commission Workshop and additional outreach was a public survey, which was created on August 9, 2021, which has been out for around four months. Over 300 submissions have been received to date, and those were available in English, Spanish, and Creole. They are utilizing the FIU Community Assessment; the five focus areas align with many eligible uses in the ARPA, which will be used as one of their guiding principles for funding available for the public and non-profit organizations. Many emails and phone calls were received and will be part of their data; they were also included in newsletters as well as in social media. Commissioner Romelus questioned if there was a headcount as to how many people attended the different public input meetings. Mr. Durgan did not have a number and stated he would get that information. He noted there were around four people at the Fire Station meeting. Regarding the public surveys, 13 responses were received in English, one in Creole, and one in Spanish. Graphs were shown of the survey and the final results as of this date. Information on the top three issues the City should address with this funding was consolidated. 2 Meeting Minutes City Commission Boynton Beach, FL December 7, 2021 Different categories that are eligible uses for the ARPA funding were shown, which the public ranked 1 through 7 through Survey Monkey. There were over 300 responses for this question alone and this is the consolidated number ranked 1 through 7. Commissioner Romelus requested clarification regarding the replacement of lost public sector revenue used to fund local general government operations. Mr. Durgan explained one of the eligible uses for the ARPA they could use for any lost revenues the City incurred due to the pandemic. This was included because it was an eligible use, so the public ranked it 1 through 7. Mr. Durgan indicated the last question was what the biggest challenge was in recovering from the pandemic. Overwhelmingly, the answer was fear of the illness and being around other people. Mr. Scott indicated they wanted to present the alignment of the public responses with work currently being conducted by FIU on a Community Needs Assessment. This Commission has heard some of the preliminary information regarding FIU's work within the community. Their role is to identify those challenges around equity, what the community feels is important, what needs to be done to close many of the equity gaps around five focus areas: Healthcare, Education, Housing, Public Safety, and Economic Opportunity. To align what the community is saying is important regarding ARPA funding, so they can help leverage funding and present it to the Commission, so they will see the alignment between FIU priorities and priorities from the community. Carisse LeJeune, ARPA Project Manager, advised that five categories came out of the FIU study; Economic Stability and Resilience, Housing Affordable and Home Ownership, Educational Opportunities and Job Skill Development, Healthcare Access, and Health Outcome, and Criminal Justice and Safety. They have taken the FIU Community Needs Assessment along with the public survey responses and mounted them in with the ARPA categories. The five categories under ARPA were Revenue Loss, Public Health, Negative Economic Impact, Water, Sewer, Broadband Infrastructure, and Premium Pay. The following five recommendation initiatives were reviewed: • Economic Stability and Resilience. There are small business grants and loans to target the hardest-hit industries, and for Boynton Beach, it is the Fishing and Art Industries, supporting businesses that did not qualify for Federal SBA programs, technical assistance, job training, direct payments to households, food assistance, and prioritizing low to moderate-income families. • Housing and Affordability and Home Ownership. Some ARPA eligible uses are for rental and mortgage assistance, affordable housing, utility assistance, housing counseling, home rehabilitation, and homelessness services. • Educational Opportunities and Job Skills Development. Eligible ARPA uses are broadband infrastructure, internship and mentorship programs, literacy programs, 3 Meeting Minutes City Commission Boynton Beach, FL December 7, 2021 art enhancement programs, prioritizing children that experienced at-home learning challenges, and entrepreneurship training. • Healthcare Access and Health Outcomes. There are mental health services, vaccine programs, supporting physical education programs at schools, public health clinics, childcare, home visiting programs substance and domestic abuse, and community health workers. • Criminal Justice and Safety. ARPA eligible projects would be community violence intervention programs, law enforcement efforts to reduce gun violence, investing in technology and equipment for law enforcement, and enhanced services for foster use. Vice Mayor Hay mentioned categories on the left representing the FIU category and the items on the right, which community citizens came up with. He questioned who did the marriage of everything. Ms. LeJeune stated it was a team effort between City staff and the ARPA team. FIU initiatives were based on the data-driven study by the University and then there was the survey from the public and the ARPA eligible uses. They took the ARPA eligible uses and merged them where they fit under the FIU initiatives, then took public responses and put them where they fit in the ARPA eligibility and the FIU study and put all that together to create the five initiatives with eligible uses on the right-hand side. It was noted that since the inception of receiving ARPA funding, the City of Boynton Beach has received numerous unsolicited non-profit concept proposals, which were listed in the next slide. Proposals received were shown and two others were received since this presentation was created. This list gives an idea of the type of non-profit services available in the community. Ms. LeJeune read the following non-profit services into the record: • Literacy Coalition • AmeriCorp • Building Better Readers (budget request of $309,600) • Cherry Hill Transformation • Neighborhood Revitalization • Habitat for Humanity • Summer Youth Economic Empowerment from Connect to Greatness • Center for Entrepreneurship Workforce • Steam from the GBDC Entrepreneur Institute • Black Business Empowerment Center from the Mental Health Committee • Emergency Shelter and Outreach Services from AVDA • Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse • Connection School Children to Work Experiences from Junior Achievement to the Palm Beaches in Treasure Coast 4 Meeting Minutes City Commission Boynton Beach, FL December 7, 2021 • Trinity Care Counseling from the Boynton Beach Coalition of Black Clergy • RM Lee Cultural Arts and Community Resource Center from the St. John Community Promise, Inc. • Short Term Housing Pilot Project for LGTBQ. • Youth in Boynton Beach from the VIDA NOVA, Inc. They believe that many more non-profit and/or businesses in the community may be interested in ARPA funding. Mara Frederiksen, Director of Financial Services, explained the breakdown of the funding as to what the first two tranches look like. The first tranche was received in May 2021 of $6.8 million and they anticipate another $6.8 million in May 2022. The following are some things that have already come before the Commission: • Housing study at $29,640 • Tutoring program at $28,147 • Wellness program for Fire and Police employees at $67,237 • Vaccine incentive for the public, which constituted gift cards and vaccines at the Hester Center, was about $60,000. • Revenue losses were $1.95 million for last year and that was already approved in the budget. • The P2P Rental Assistance, the partnership with Pathways to Prosperity with the County, is an ongoing process, so it is an estimated number. • Vaccination incentive for PBA was broken out; 70 employees qualified and received $250 or will receive in this coming pay period and that was based on eligibility on the bargaining; they had to reach a certain percentage to reach the full $500. • Vaccination incentive for the rest of the employees; 414 employees at $500 for a total of $207,000. • Currently, there is an anticipated revenue loss for next year, which will come in the budget process in July of about $2 million, which is an estimate. • Approved at the November 30, 2021, special meeting was the Wells Landing funding for $500,000. • For premium pay there were 781 employees who were active at this last pay period, so that comes to about $1.5 million. Project Manager costs are anticipated at about $150,000. Based on both tranches coming in, that leaves about $7 million left from the ARPA funding. Committed amounts were shown, which add up to about $6.4 million. Revenue losses were $1.95 million, and the estimated $2 million will come back through the budget process. Public Health, which was vaccine incentives, etc., was about $351,00; negative Economic Impact fell about $632,000; and Premium Pay was about $1.5 million, so the 5 Meeting Minutes City Commission Boynton Beach, FL December 7, 2021 total committed cost is $6.4 million. The ARPA team has broken down the remaining $7 million from those first two tranches into priorities or buckets, which were listed as follows: • $2.5 million for Economic Stability and Resilience • $2 million for Housing Affordability and Homeownership • $1 million for Educational Opportunities and Job Skills Development • $1 million for Healthcare Access and Outcomes • $500,000 for Criminal Justice and Safety Ms. LeJeune mentioned the non-profit unsolicited proposals the City received up until about a week ago. On the left side, they have taken the FIU initiatives and the proposed amount to put in a bucket and then put in the non-profit concept proposals. Briefly reading and pulling elements of the programs, they have temporarily put the items in different categories, so there is an idea of what type of funding and how much is being requested. Mayor Grant questioned if these numbers are their proposed numbers or the City's recommendation of how much to allocate. Ms. LeJeune stated the blue on the left side is the staff's recommendation of what to allocate for each of the five buckets or initiatives. The middle section with non-profit concept proposals are amounts given to the City by different non-profits, which is based on budgetary requests for programming. Totals on the right side took whatever programming from the non-profits was added. For example, the Economic Stability and Resilience has the Black Business Empowerment Center and the RM Lee Cultural Arts and Community Resource Center; they are requesting $600,000. They do not have a number from the Black Business Empowerment Center; however, at this time, they know roughly $600,000 is being requested for that bucket. The staffs recommendation is to put $2 million in the Housing Affordability and Home Ownership bucket and between the Cherry Hill Transformation, Neighborhood Revitalization, and the Short-Term Housing Pilot Project from VIDA NOVA, the request thus far is $384,000. The staff's recommendation for Education Opportunities and Job Skills Development is $1 million. The different non-profit's requests adds up to $3,575,366. The last two buckets are Healthcare Access and Health Outcomes for $1 million. So far, the request has been $800,000. 6 Meeting Minutes City Commission Boynton Beach, FL December 7, 2021 Staff's recommendation for Criminal Justice and Safety is $500,000; no requests have been received so far. Vice Mayor Hay questioned if all requests from the public have been categorized and put in one bucket or the other. Ms. LeJeune indicated public requests were in an earlier slide provided by Mr. Durgan. As far as requests with dollars associated, they have taken requests already received and put them in the framework to give the Commission an idea of what this framework would look like. They wanted to bring forward what was received so far with non-solicited non-profit proposals. They are looking to the Commission for Procurement guidance. Staff does not recommend immediate allocation of the funding today based upon what has been seen on the screen; one reason is that the proposals have not been fully vetted. As stated, she pulled out some ideas, but they have not done a deep dive into each of the proposals. Besides the unsolicited proposals, they have since received two others and she is certain there are more in the community that might not know they can send something in. Commissioner Penserga questioned if there is a uniform application people can fill out and what the vetting process is. He asked how they determine what is a strong, valid, reputable proposal versus one that does not have enough information. Ms. LeJeune explained they are looking at the direct allocation to non-profit proposals, which are not being recommended because it could be more equitable to allow others to apply. Another option was City Partnership opportunities like the summer partnering with schools in the District to provide a summer tutoring program for middle schoolers and the Notice of Funding Opportunities. There will need to be an application process for the Notice of Funding Opportunities, which has not been created because they are looking for direction from the Commission. If they can put out grant opportunities to the entire community through Notice of Funding Opportunities, they will have an application, hold an application Workshop, use requirements from the Federal Guidance for ARPA, and a Risk Analysis. Federal requirements come directly from the Compliance and Reporting document from the Federal Government and the responsibilities that go along with being a sub-recipient to the City, which include Federal Uniform Guidelines from CRF, Part 200. Some other requirements are encouraged by the Federal Government referred to as Risk Assessment Requirements. They would look for internal controls to ensure Federal funds are used solely for preauthorized purposes. The Document Record Retention Policy needs to adhere to CFR, Part 200. Potential, personal, or organizational conflicts of interests, fiscal and administrative oversights of grant awards, and who the person responsible for that organization is, and if they are experienced. They would look for policies and procedures in place to manage sub-awards and monitor the activities of sub-recipients. All activities and expenditures throughout the life of the grant will have to be monitored. Time distribution records, which accurately reflect work performed on specific activities, are in the approved programming. Budget 7 Meeting Minutes City Commission Boynton Beach, FL December 7, 2021 estimates do not qualify as support to charges to Federal awards. Many requirements would go into this application. Commissioner Penserga suggested as staff proceeds through the process and have conversations with non-profits, he highly encouraged everyone to speak with each other because there may be similar proposals offering services and there may be space to partner and potentially save money. They may be able to reduce additional overhead or administrative costs and could spend more of the money on the actual service of the community. If they can promote partnerships, they can be more efficient spending the money, and those are projects he would be more inclined to support. Mayor Grant stated this is their last source of funding, so other sources of funding proposed programs should be investigated. He suggested looking at available grants such as CDBG, SHIP, etc., that could be a funding source. Use ARPA last and let it be the final mile for the gap. The Treasury wants to see sustainability. He questioned what happens to the program when the recipient must demonstrate that the program will sustain itself in some form and not go away. They have to report quarterly to the Treasury on expenditures and the Treasury has a 90-day window to say no. If questions cannot be answered, the Treasury will take the money back. Commissioner Katz appreciated the way this is being presented. He agrees 100% that they need to define and communicate the criteria for potential applicants. Currently, there are several positive solicitations, but they were not made based on any expectations or legal requirements pursuant to funding from the Federal Government. He thought many of the proposals that have merit will find that once the criteria are laid out, answers would be needed to flush out those proposals so money is not being given to a program that will not exist in a year. He questioned if they could request applicants to disclose any requests made for these funds from other government entities to make sure money is not being requested elsewhere. Ms. LeJeune advised many State and Federal grants ask what other funding sources are being used and if applicants have received funding from the Federal Government or another State Agency for this project. If the Commission would like that information in the application, that could be inserted. Commissioner Katz mentioned the allocation for small businesses, and he would want to know if funds were already received through the CRA or the City, because other businesses have not, and they need to be prioritized before the money runs out. Ms. LeJeune indicated one of the guidance points they are looking for is the Commission's preference if they decide to put out Notice of Funding Opportunities for grants and if they want it to be for non-profits only or if they would be open to non-profits and for-profit businesses. Commissioner Penserga questioned if there are any criteria by law that requires the 8 Meeting Minutes City Commission Boynton Beach, FL December 7, 2021 money to be spent within their municipality. Ms. LeJeune stated from the Federal Government, which is not a criterion because many Cities look at it regionally; however, the City of Boynton Beach can say if they give funds, they must be spent in Boynton Beach for the benefit of Boynton Beach citizens. Whatever is put in the application is the only thing the money can be spent on. As they go through quarterly reporting, which sub-recipients are responsible for reporting to the City, they will have to show where the funds were spent and proof that the funds were spent for the approved programming. Vice Mayor Hay mentioned Treasury Guidelines and questioned if they were strictly from the Government and if they were going to add more. Ms. LeJeune advised the most stringent from the Treasury Guidelines come from the CFR, Part 200, which every municipality in the State of Florida was required to incorporate into their Procurement policy several years ago. They are obligated to make sure the requirements put in the application comply with State and Federal requirements. The requirements she read off the sheet is a recommended Risk Analysis from the Department of Justice, and it was strongly encouraged that recipients follow those guidelines when issuing sub-recipient funds. Mr. Scott reiterated that the Commission could add additional criteria if it does not conflict with current requirements from the Treasury and the Justice Department. Lori LaVerriere, City Manager, mentioned the buckets identified will be broken down to $7 million and noted that is a rough guideline. Their recommendation is to implement the competitive grant process, so it provides an opportunity for the entire community and others that did not hear about the ARPA. They may find what is coming in and what gets considered may have a lot in Economic Impact and not much of anything in Criminal Safety. They are going to come back to the Commission with those responses and the Commission will adjust their priorities. Staff wants the Commission to think about what is most important to them. She thought that decision should be made after seeing the requests and needs from the community. This is completely fluid, and the lists were meetings they had with others; this has been a constant community conversation and needs to continue. Mayor Grant questioned if a timeline has been set. Ms. LaVerriere stated they have two years to get the money committed, by December 2024, and then by December 2026, the money must be spent. They have been collecting applications and have an idea of what their application could look like, but they want to put it together and bring it back to the Commission. Mayor Grant knows there is urgency in the need, but he did not want this to drag on too long. 9 Meeting Minutes City Commission Boynton Beach, FL December 7, 2021 Ms. LaVerriere thought with guidance, they could get this on the streets after the holidays and should be able to get a draft to the Commission by the end of January, early February. After that, it could be put on the streets for however long the Commission desires. Commissioner Romelus commented she would not want it to surpass their time on the Commission. Ms. LaVerriere stated they would have to move quickly. Vice Mayor Hay agreed with moving expeditiously, but once they start the vetting process, he wants to make sure those agencies missing minor things be allowed to comply, that the door is not closed because pieces are missing. Ms. LaVerriere stated it is not going to be a hard bid situation; they can set the rules. Ms. LeJeune mentioned the concern was discussed with the ARPA team and Mr. Scott had a great idea and said, "Let's have a Workshop for applications; let's invite people to come in and they will walk them step by step to help fill out the application". Commissioner Romelus mentioned a few submittals she observed and wanted to give feedback to applicants who were able to submit some things for this exploratory round. Commissioner Katz questioned if there is a list of all non-profits registered within the City limits of Boynton Beach. If so, he would like to see a communication sent to every non- profit in the City once the application is devised. He asked if there is a requirement in Federal Law that allocated funds cannot be used to cover existing operational costs of a non-profit. Ms. LeJeune replied yes if they are properly licensed. Regarding Federal Law requirements regarding allocated funds is in the Report and Compliance Guidelines from the Treasury. Commissioner Katz questioned if the Commission would be able to allocate funds in tranches if someone asked for a certain amount and had a timeline, so a check is not being cut for a certain amount of time. Ms. LeJeune stated the distribution of funds is at the discretion of the City Commission. Commissioner Katz commented that anything relative to helping students needs to be driven by targeted enrollment. He requested a list of students be derived based on metrics provided by the School District when anyone says they are going to work with students within their communities. The list was used for the summer tutoring program, and it shows students who were desperately behind in grade level, etc. 10 Meeting Minutes City Commission Boynton Beach, FL December 7, 2021 Ms. LeJeune stated that is part of the discussion. They need to require metrics and have recipients meet outcomes, but that is feedback they would like to have from the Commission. The suggestion of using existing types of metrics is not only easy, but it helps them meet the evidence-based requirement, so the metrics are currently being used by other educational institutions. Mayor Grant opened the discussion to the public. Bishop Bernard Wright, CEO of Bernard Wright Ministries, advised that Bernard Wright Ministries is a 501c non-profit entity that has been operating in this City for about 10 or 11 years. They have been active throughout the pandemic, feeding people and doing many other things. He has been doing a Walk Against Gun Violence every month and is trying to get people who have been strongly impacted to join them and make a statement. He mentioned the need for tutoring. He would like Bernard Wright Ministries and Boynton Strong to be considered and they would like to get money so it could be used appropriately for the community to make a change for the people. He would like a chance to submit a proposal. Annette Grey, CDBG Entrepreneurship Institute, 1500 Gateway Boulevard, Boynton Beach, indicated it is important to remind staff, participants, and the Commission that the City of Boynton Beach municipality boundaries are complex. She believes the boundaries should be included with the grant or there needs to be a discussion about the geographic boundaries for qualifications of the non-profits or organizations that will compete for this grant. The Center for Workforce development has been doing business in Boynton Beach and Palm Beach County for 20 years. Their proposal was set up in a way to capture some of the work they are already doing and an expansion on some of the work due to Covid. She mentioned the $500,000 under Law Enforcement and noted they have been doing a Youth Crime Prevention Program and have received funding from the Boynton Beach Police Department and the Sheriff's Department. There is no request for those funds, it is incorporated under One Center, which is proposed to be in Boynton for Boynton Beach students and by Boynton Beach hired staff. When the proposal is received, remember there are consolidated efforts under one roof doing multiple things because they want to catch the students at an early age and work with them through and after college. Ernest Mignoli, 710 NE 7th Street, Apt. #407, Boynton Beach, has become interested in Boynton Beach politics, reaction to Covid, reaction to Federal money granted to municipalities, and the processes that go on, especially during open public meetings, since he moved here in 2020. He has expressed concerns in the past and feels there are many conflicts with this Administration and its agents. He found that the process is open to a taxpayer, like himself, but to question those conflicts and to be able to ask questions is denied. He noted Federal money is for general people, it is not supposed to be earmarked for certain lifestyle people, certain religious people, certain economic, etc. It is supposed to be for people first, not second, not for Arts, businesses, music, parties, functions, paying City employees to get vaccinated, etc. That is not a good use of money, the money is for food, clothing, homes, getting kids to walk to school safely, getting lights 11 Meeting Minutes City Commission Boynton Beach, FL December 7, 2021 on streets, and getting crime down in the City. Most things talked about are very partisan. There are a lot of conflicts; he does not like it and does not think it is fair. Gina Griffin, Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast, announced they are celebrating 40 years of service this year. Since 1981 they have inspired and prepared 738,000 youth throughout their five-County area and taught them Financial Literacy, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Readiness Programs, which are provided free of charge to all public-school students based on funding from the community. Over the last two years, despite the pandemic, they have tripled their impact from 20,000 kids a year to 60,000 a year and in Boynton Beach, they doubled their impact from 2,300 students to 5,000 students. She clarified the $1.6 million in their proposal is their overall organizational budget, they were seeking $145,000, which breaks down to about $29 per student served. She invited the Mayor and Commission to visit Cross Point Elementary on December 10, 2021, or December 16, 2021, because they are serving the entire school through volunteer mentors who are being trained by their staff to teach their curriculum. Jessica T. White, CEO of the Sexual Exploitation Abuse, Child Protection Agency, wanted to be sure there is funding for education. They want to bring an academy to Boynton Beach to educate community members 18 and older, the Police Department, Parks and Recreation Department, and the Commission. They want to provide education that will help prepare against sexual crimes and prevent them from happening to children as well as providing what signs look like when a child is being sexually abused. During the pandemic, a lot of children were impacted by this because some of the predators they were with were family members; 90% of children know their abusers. The program they are proposing will be about $20,000 and that is what they are requesting. Next month they are working with an organization by Pastor Sharon Hobbs, to have a Human Trafficking Walk in Boynton Beach. Chuck Ridley, Political Coordinator for Blue Collar Workers SEIU, indicated that many members of their organization throughout Palm Beach County live in Boynton. As their representative, he was here to congratulate this Board and staff for the foresight they have in this process being discussed today. He has observed City Councils and Commissions throughout Palm Beach County and not one has had the foresight to do and look at what this Commission is struggling through. The ARPA funds came to change how business is done. He is aware of several organizations that have come together and are looking to work in a complementary, non-competitive manner. The City of Boynton Beach can be the flagship of how community business is done moving forward. Pastor Rae Whitley, Boynton Beach Coalition of Clergy and Trinity Counseling Center, wanted to bring clarity to the document regarding the proposal. They submitted a proposal when it first opened and in the last two weeks, they decided for the greater good of the community and stakeholders, to create a huge proposal with the faith-based CDC, which includes many stakeholders. They will concede to the second proposal as part of the greater good for the community. Under that proposal, eight different stakeholders' 12 Meeting Minutes City Commission Boynton Beach, FL December 7, 2021 organizations have created one large proposal. They identified the fiscal agent for all the organizations meeting the requirements mentioned. He is supporting the latter proposal they were not able to submit in time and he will make sure each of the Commissioners have an email of the proposal. He supports everything the Commission is doing at this moment. Mayor Grant asked what the eight organizations are. Keturah Joseph, Executive Director of the Boynton Beach Faith-Based Community Development Corporation, apologized for submitting their application late. They were trying to form this collaboration and meet with stakeholders. Boynton Beach Faith-Based CDC will be the lead agency with this group, so it is them, Healthier Boynton Beach, Boynton Strong, Pathways to Prosperity, Trinity Counseling Center, Boca Helping Hands, Boynton Beach Mental Health Community, and the Coalition of Trilogy. They had meetings over several weeks and a proposal was put together that would fit under one umbrella. It is a collaborative effort with all those agencies coming together. She questioned if this is a check forward or a reimbursement process. Ms. LaVerriere advised they do not know at this time, but she thought it would be more like a reimbursement. Ms. LeJeune indicated she would ask staff if a portion of the funds would be available immediately once the grantee would be awarded and then the directives of that grant continue to follow along the path. She understood Ms. Joseph's point about trying to do the reimbursement, which is usually one of the most difficult points about any business doing business with the government. Sharon Hobbs commented that she has not submitted a request, but stated the Human Trafficking Awareness Walk and presentation will take place on January 22, 2022. They expect it to be impactful, but while listening, she understands funds will not be available before that time. They were asking for $5,000 to pay for media support and all the activities that go along with the event. Mayor Grant did not know if they were allowed to use this for events and suggested she come to the City Commission meeting and make a formal request to the Commission, who may be able to use their Community Support Funds in a more expedited manner. There were no further comments at this time. Mayor Grant advised since there is not a second meeting in December the application should be ready for Commission approval by January 4, 2022. He asked if Mr. Scott could have the draft sent within two weeks, by December 21, 2021, so individual comments could be sent to him by December 27, 2021, to be compiled into the Commission's comments for the final application where they can make slight adjustments, with it going out on Friday after making any adjustments at the City Commission meeting. He thought 13 Meeting Minutes City Commission Boynton Beach, FL December 7, 2021 a Workshop would be needed within 7 to 14 days. If the Notice of Funding Opportunity goes out on January 7, 2022, they need at least 30 days, which would pass the first meeting. He would say either January 11 or 18, 2022, and on March 1, 2022, the Commission would decide on the allocation of funds because anything past March 1, 2022, would not give a few of the Commissioners the ability. It is going to be an aspect of reimbursable versus seed funding where seed funding would always be a little smaller than reimbursable to start with. He would say that part of the application is the actual funds going to the community, not being spent through the non-profit. If it is job training or housing, he questioned how that money is going to the actual people. He mentioned transportation in under-served communities. He would like to see the City move forward with a bike or ride-sharing component because that is something he believes the City has looked at and needs to make sure their community can to get to one place from another. Vice Mayor Hay stated the Commission previously talked about that and it is about connecting the community to jobs. Ms. LeJeune indicated a bike-share program, which is normally considered a mobility program, would have to have to be important elements to make it fit into the ARPA. The first would be that it would have to serve the disproportionately impacted communities in Boynton Beach, so it would have to be specifically for those areas of the City. Secondly, transportation would be to get to job centers or to food if people live in a food desert. Dots could be connected to something that is a negative impact on a disproportionately impacted community; a ride-share program helps people get to food, jobs, job training, education, etc. Mayor Grant mentioned the recommended priorities in the budget and stated he would want to move half a million dollars from Economic Stability and Resiliency to Educational Opportunities and Job Skills Development. Commissioner Penserga commented that he has not seen food in the proposals. They have all spoken about the food desert in the heart of Boynton and the need for a healthy fresh food grocer. If someone comes forward with a plan to do that, they will have his vote. This is something that has been discussed by the Commission and at the Community Listening Session. If someone could address this as a strong, solid plan, long- term, sustainable, meets the needs of the community, and stretching the money to make the maximum impact, long-term dividends, what could be better than food and health. The Commission had this conversation several months ago and something was said along the lines that the money could not be used for Economic Development, but it could be used for Economic Recovery. He asked if there could be a seed funding program to help a husband-and-wife team because something small and entrepreneurial would have helped them during the pandemic when they could not work or lost their job. That kind of project and support does not fall under other categories. Ms. LeJeune answered yes, the Treasury sent out a Question-and-Answer Response based upon the IFR for clarification and in that Q & A, it specifically says it can be used 14 Meeting Minutes City Commission Boynton Beach, FL December 7, 2021 for small business start-ups for people who were negatively impacted by the Covid-19 health emergency or for small business start-ups within a disproportionately served community. There is a possibility they could ask for money for that. The other question to resolve the issue of food deserts within the City was discussed ten years ago. It goes back to the requirements in the IFR. If it is a disproportionately impacted community and food has been identified as something that is a negative impact, yes, the money can be used to somehow provide the food whether it be by volunteers at drive-thrus where food is placed in vehicle trunks. If something more permanent is the desire, they would have to investigate to determine exactly what criteria to make it fit. If they want to provide food resources to a qualified Census tracked community, yes, that is an eligible use. Mr. Scott stated one of the ideas was community gardens; they bring a community out and they help build safety around communities and build resiliency. That might be something depending on how it is structured that one of the non-profits may want to propose. Commissioner Penserga advised he did not want anything temporary; he was talking about a long-term permanent grocer. Mayor Grant questioned if there was anything else from the Board; otherwise, he would request an Amendment moving half a million dollars from Economic Stability and Resilience to Educational Opportunities and Job Skills Development. Motion Motion made by Commissioner Katz, seconded by Commissioner Romelus, to approve moving a half-million dollars from Economic Stability and Resilience to Educational Opportunities and Job Skills Development. The motion passed unanimously. Ms. LaVerriere questioned if it was the will of the Commission for staff to go forward and create the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Mayor Grant asked for a second motion for staff to create the Grant Application, so it could be finalized at the January 4, 2022, City Commission meeting. Motion Motion made by Commissioner Romelus, seconded by Commissioner Penserga, for staff to create the Grant Application, so it could be finalized at the January 4, 2022, City Commission meeting. The motion passed unanimously. Commissioner Katz stated there is the issue of the City Partnership Opportunities with Principals of the elementary schools, which they may wish to bring forward from time to time for approval. He questioned if that was still acceptable under the ARPA. 15 Meeting Minutes City Commission Boynton Beach, FL December 7, 2021 Mayor Grant clarified Commissioner Katz was requesting a conversation with the County and School District. He questioned if ARPA allows funds from the County to be given to the City to be spent if they are Unincorporated Boynton Beach. Ms. LaVerriere stated that she talked to Jay Boggess, Assistant Superintendent of the Choice and Innovation Division for the School District of Palm Beach County, and he said they would love to craft a program with the City, but it may take some funding. Mayor Grant stated he would want a consensus to have the City work with the School District and County to maximize ARPA funds for Palm Beach County as a region. Ms. LaVerriere mentioned Arts and Enrichment programs for the schools. Poinciana Elementary is mostly STEM and they do not have exposure to the Arts. These are kids in Title 1 schools that the City could work with to create Art and Music programs at the Cultural Center and allow the kids to come after school to have access to those programs they normally do not have access to. Mayor Grant commented that Commissioner Katz has helped donate to a scholarship fund in the past, which is the aspect of the Youth Empowerment. If someone qualifies for a scholarship being in the low or very low-income bracket, the children have an opportunity to be a part of extracurricular activities in the City of Boynton Beach. He would want to make sure those funds are being used, so there is no space in extracurricular activities. Ms. LeJeune asked if the Commission is going to open the Notice of Funding Opportunity to both non-profit and for-profit entities. She noted that some of the things questioned such as start-ups for the mom-and-pop business, bike-share program, and if someone is going to come in and do a permanent grocery store, are usually for-profit businesses. Mayor Grant replied yes, they are not limiting it to non-profits. Vice Mayor Hay concurred. Covid-19 impacted everyone, whether they are profit or non- profit. He mentioned a document he reviewed, and many of those types of ideas and concepts are addressed. In his opinion, they have to help everyone possible whether they are profit or non-profit. Ms. LeJeune stated she would give preference to non-profit entities because of the nature of the work they do and the impact of service they provide to residents they serve. She was not saying they should not open it to for-profit. There should be a division of allocation for for-profit versus non-profit. Mayor Grant stated it was the fact they can award, so it would be up to the Commission to determine it because someone may ask for a million dollars and they could award them $100,000 and vice versa. They are focusing on making the community better, so the non- profits have that component where it is not going to Administrative funding, it is for 16 Meeting Minutes City Commission Boynton Beach, FL December 7, 2021 expansion, and if there is a for-profit that wants to do that as well, knowing they are helping them offset costs to be profitable in the community. Ms. LaVerriere thought that could be addressed when they have the draft Notice of Funding Opportunity to review and adjust. Vice Mayor Hay questioned if the Commission would have all their vetting from a City standpoint included by January 4, 2022. Ms. LaVerriere advised they would be finalizing the application to put on the street for 30 days on January 4, 2022. Based on the criteria in the application, they will review it, rank it, and bring it back to the Commission to decide how they want to divide it and provide recommendations. Commissioner Katz mentioned the 30-day window and questioned if there is a way to get a communication out before the holidays so they do not find out about it during the 30- day window. He would like the non-profits to be aware before deliberation on January 4, 2022, that way those who have an interest have been given a chance to engage if they have not. Ms. LaVerriere stated it will be in the newsletter and on the website. They have a good list of the non-profits, which was utilized to notify everyone when they did the non-profit stakeholder meeting and people still missed it. Ms. LaVerriere indicated they also partnered with the County, where the County said they have so much money in Rental Assistance and to help people apply to use their money because they are having a hard time giving out the funds. Vice Mayor Hay questioned how strong the sustainability element of the vetting process is. Ms. LeJeune stated sustainability of programming is encouraged by the Treasury Department. It is not an actual requirement; however, the City Commission can put whatever requirements they wish in the application. They could insert a question that asks how applicants plan to continue their program after the ARPA funds run out. There being no further business Mayor Grant adjourned the meeting at 5:18 p.m. CITY •F B•• ON BEACH 3,,ara Mayr 'Steven B. Grant 17 Meeting Minutes City Commission Boynton Beach, FL December 7, 2021 — Vice Mayor—Woodrow .y OVission- — Justin Katz Commissioner— Christina L. Romelus CO s,. -fr,�� y -enserga - ATTEST: C stat Gibson, MMC City Clerk 0'i/ /ll_ /Y Tammy Stan/one Deputy City lerk 18