DATE: November 28, 2023
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Paul Nerland, County Administrative Officer
SUBJECT: Local Immigrant Integration and Inclusion Grant and Agreement with the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Retroactively approve and authorize the County Administrative Officer’s previous submission of an Application for the Local Immigrant Integration and Inclusion Grant (LIIIG) ($386,661);
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a retroactive Agreement with the International Affairs and Trade Unit within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, to increase economic development in rural communities and increase access to resources within immigrant communities, effective October 1, 2023 through November 30, 2025, total not to exceed $386,661;
3. Under Administrative Policy No. 34 for competitive bids or requests for proposals (AP 34), determine that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement under AP 34 is satisfied and a suspension of competition is warranted due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances, and that the best interests of the County would be served by entering into an agreement with the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation as this vendor made the County of Fresno aware of the LIIIG, was able to write the grant prior to the filing deadline, and has substantial experience in implementing grant programs;
4. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute the LIIIG Collaborative Declaration so that the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation may partner with the County to deliver the coordinated programs and services using these grant funds;
5. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an agreement with the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation, as the eligible third-party subgrantee to deliver the coordinated programs and services, effective upon execution through November 30, 2025, total not to exceed $386,661; and
6. Adopt Budget Resolution increasing FY 2023-24 appropriations and estimated revenues in the Interest and Miscellaneous Expenditures Org 2540 in the amount of $193,331 (4/5 vote).
REPORT
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The International Affairs and Trade Unit (IATU) within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (Go-Biz) offered the opportunity to apply for the LIIIG. To meet the filing deadline of July 28, 2023, the County Administrative office submitted the grant application the same day, contingent upon your Board’s approval. Following IATU review, the application was revised and resubmitted on August 17, 2023. The recommended actions will retroactively authorize the submittal of the grant application, execute the retroactive grant agreement, approve an agreement with the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation (FAHF) to implement the grant program, and approve a budget resolution to increase the appropriations and estimated revenue for FY 2023-24 to provide funding for the grant in the Interest and Miscellaneous Expenditures Org 2540.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the recommended actions are not approved, the grant funds will not be accepted from IATU for the LIIIG Grant.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
It is requested that your Board find under AP No. 34 that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement is satisfied, and a suspension of competition is warranted due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances from the unique circumstances associated with the LIIIG. The FAHF brought the LIIIG application to the County’s attention in mid-July 2023, with an application deadline of July 28, 2023. FAHF indicated they were able to write the grant on behalf of the County. Due to the limited time, the County Administrative Officer approved FAHF to move forward with writing the grant. Since 2004, FAHF has been committed to fostering entrepreneurship as a means towards economic self-sufficiency and empowering women entrepreneurs to succeed in the Central San Juaquin Valley. FAHF owns and operates the Downtown Business Hub, a business incubator program located in downtown Fresno that has generated over $3 million of private investment into the local economy. FAHF has a proven track record of providing technical assistance to over 15,000 startup and existing businesses, including its Womanpreneur and Latinapreneur programs that have been able to assist women entrepreneurs throughout the eight-county region. In addition, FAHF has been able to help businesses access over $8 million in financing that resulted in the creation and/or retention of 12,000+ jobs. Recently, FAFH had an agreement with the County to administer the Helping Underserved Businesses program using CARES Act funding as well as an agreement to administer the California Microbusiness COVID-19 Relief program using American Rescue Plan Act funds. The Internal Services Department - Purchasing concurs with the Department’s assessment that this satisfies the exception to the competitive bidding process required by AP 34.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
The County submitted the LIIIG application on July 28, 2023, and was notified of the award from Go-Biz on September 21, 2023. The agreement was received on October 12, 2023, with an effective date of October 1, 2023, and brought before your Board at the earliest date possible.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The grant will provide a total of $386,661 to fund the recommended agreement with FAHF to administer the grant program. The recommended Budget Resolution will provide the necessary appropriations and estimated revenues ($193,331) in the FY 2023-24 Interest and Miscellaneous Expenditures Org 2540 for the grant.
DISCUSSION:
The Budget Act of 2022 (Senate Bill 178, Skinner) and Government Code section 12100.140 et seq. established the Local Government Immigrant Integration Initiatives program within the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). On June 16, 2023, GO-Biz released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Local Immigrant Integration and Inclusion Grant (LIIIG) to provide $8.2 million in one-time funding to support the development or expansion of immigrant integration efforts, increase community trust, and enhance the organizational capacity of local governments to support immigrant populations in California.
The LIIIG is a two-year grant, from October 1, 2023 through November 30, 2025. Eligible activities for LIIIG funding include but are not limited to 1) Economic Development, 2) Social Services Navigation, 3) Intergovernmental Technical Assistance, and 4) Civic Engagement.
The recommended grant agreement provides that venue for any matters arising from the agreement will be in the state courts of Sacramento County, instead of Fresno County, as is standard with most County agreements. The recommended grant agreement also contains an indemnification provision in favor of the IATU and the State of California, and provides that under no circumstances will the State, IATU or their agents or assigns be liable to the County for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages that arise from the agreement, unless IATU engages in willful misconduct or is grossly negligent. The County Administrative Office has reviewed these provisions and believes that the benefits of entering into this agreement outweigh the possible risks.
The proposed activities are in the areas of Economic Development and Social Services Navigation. Economic Development subcategories include Entrepreneurship Development and Resources, New Business Development and Resources and Workforce Development Training.
Social Services Navigation subcategories include Case Management Service, Education and Outreach and Language Services.
FAHF will provide technical assistance, entrepreneurial capacity training and the necessary entrepreneurial resources to immigrant individuals and small business owners looking to start or expand a business. FAHF will assist in business registration, licensing, permits, business plan development, and workshops among other areas. FAHF will provide small businesses and individuals with access to affordable and responsible capital through small business and consumer loans. These activities will advance immigrant integration by fostering entrepreneurship as a means towards economic self-sufficiency and giving immigrants the opportunity to increase income.
FAHF will partner with the Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board (FRWDB) to provide career readiness training, workshops and trainings focused on job readiness, soft skills, job preparation skills, effective communication, financial literacy, and industry exploration and digital literacy. FRWDB will assist immigrant individuals with job searching, filling out job applications, career counseling, skills assessments, and assist with job placements. These activities will advance the immigrant labor market by decreasing unemployment rates and increasing their wages.
FAHF will partner with Centro La Familia Advocacy Services (CLFA) to provide government system navigation to conduct intake/assessment of immigration need(s), provide tailored plans to address specific need(s) such as how to apply for public benefits, a driver's license, appointment accompaniment, case management, and follow up. CLFA will provide immigrants with education in available community resources; peer-to-peer services, connect them to service providers in the areas of mental health, parent education, domestic violence, victim services, health literacy, and others; assist with appointment setting; transportation, and follow up. These activities will help advance social integration into the community and improve their well-being and quality of life. Education and outreach will be carried out in urban and rural communities and includes attending resource fairs, one-on-one education, presentations, focus groups, forums, and workshops. The primary strategy is to bring information to areas frequented by the target populations and ensure that it is culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate for the population. The program will provide equal access to services for all individuals and Navigators will have the language skills and cultural awareness necessary to communicate fully and effectively. Forms and written materials will be offered in English and Spanish, and additional translations as identified.
To advance immigrant integration, FAHF, CLFA, and FRWDB will form the “Fresno Immigrant Integration Partnership (FIIP). FAHF will leverage its existing Confia Rural Program, which is designed to enhance the economic well-being of hard-to-reach individuals, families, and small business owners in rural areas throughout the region. FAHF will coordinate resource fairs in 3 rural communities of Fresno County each year (six total), including, but not limited to: Mendota, Parlier, Kerman, Coalinga, Orange Cove, and Huron. These “Confia” events will serve as a platform for community members to access valuable technical assistance and resources focused in areas such as small business development, financial literacy, social services resources, and workforce training/development. To ensure successful events, program partners will participate to bring their respective resources, in addition to leveraging their staff and facilities in designated rural communities. Other local community partners will also be invited to participate in these Confia events, such as partners that have education resources, banking, and first-time homebuying among others.
Approval of the recommended actions will promote economic development, workforce development, and social services navigation within immigrant individuals and small business owners. Program partners FAHF, FRWDB, and CLFA will utilize an intake process to guide, assist, and support immigrants in navigating government and community systems, accessing health care, social adjustment, immigration services, workforce development trainings, and small business start-up/expansion assistance, among others.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement with IATU and Grant Application
Suspension of Competition Acquisition Request Form
On file with Clerk - Agreement with FAHF
On file with Clerk - Budget Resolution
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander