To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: MICHAEL W. WEBB, CITY ATTORNEY JOY ABAQUIN, QUALITY OF LIFE PROSECUTOR
TITLE
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APPROVE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE SOUTH BAY CITIES COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT TO EXTEND THE TERM TO DECEMBER 31, 2021.
ADOPT BY 4/5 VOTE AND BY TITLE ONLY RESOLUTION NO. CC-2109-087, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING A FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022 BUDGET MODIFICATION TO APPROPRIATE $91,000 IN INNOVATION GRANT FUNDS FROM THE SBCCOG TO THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL GRANT FUND.
ADOPT BY 4/5 VOTE AND BY TITLE ONLY RESOLUTION NO. CC-2109-088, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING A FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022 BUDGET MODIFICATION TO APPROPRIATE $100,000 IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY CDBG FUNDS TO THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL GRANT FUND.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In November 2019, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion to allocate $739,685 to the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) to provide Innovation Funds for Homeless Services. The county entered into a contract with the SBCCOG on February 11, 2020 to provide homeless services. On October 6, 2020, the Mayor and City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the SBCCOG after the SBCCOG awarded the City of Redondo Beach an Innovation Grant in the amount of $245,287 for the Enhanced Response Program to Homelessness. The terms for both the contract and MOU expired June 30, 2021. Los Angeles County extended the contract with the SBCCOG to December 31, 2021, allowing the COG and the cities that received this funding from the COG to continue using those funds until December. As such, the term of the MOU between Redondo Beach and the COG needs to be extended to the same date.
The Innovation Grant from the SBCCOG was appropriated when the Mayor and Council passed the budget for Fiscal Year 2020-2021. However, only $154,287 was appropriated, so the balance ($91,000) should be appropriated now to fund initiatives detailed in the approved MOU.
Through Councilmember Horvath’s efforts, Supervisor Hahn’s office awarded the City of Redondo Beach $100,000 of the Los Angeles County Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) in support of the City’s Enhanced Response to Homelessness Program. On June 8, 2021, the Mayor and City Council approved an agreement with the Los Angeles County to participate in the Los Angeles County Community Development Program to partially fund the Enhanced Response to Homelessness Program, specifically the Redondo Beach Housing Initiative Court, also known as “Homeless Court.” The Mayor and Council need to pass a resolution to appropriate the grant.
BACKGROUND
The Enhanced Response to Homelessness Program continues to respond to the needs and issues of people experiencing homelessness as well as their impact on the community. After June 30, 2021, a few housekeeping steps are necessary to ensure funding for the program continues.
The majority of the Innovation Grant awarded to the City was meant for services such as mental health and substance abuse services. For example, CLEAR Recovery Center donates up to $5000 of mental health therapy and substance abuse counseling at the Housing Initiative Court, also known as “Homeless Court.” As the Housing Initiative Court continued to grow, more and more agencies volunteered their services such as the Department of Mental Health, the Public Defender Expungement Team, and the Los Angeles City HEART Program. The generosity of these agencies has saved the City from spending the funding allocated for purposes, so a balance remains from the Innovation Grant. The county recognized that many COG’s had not expended all the funds due to the pandemic, so the County amended the contract with the SBCCOG to extend the term to December 31, 2021. In order to make use of the balance of the Innovation Grant that the SBCCOG awarded to the City, the MOU between the City and the SBCCOG also needs to be extended.
On April 13, 2021, in addition to making the Enhanced Response to Homelessness Pilot Program become a permanent program, the Mayor and City Council also directed staff to seek funding for the program. Prior to that, Councilmember Horvath had met with Supervisor Hahn’s Office about funding, and they had identified County CDBG as one of the sources of funding for the program. The Innovation Grant from the SBCCOG and the CDBG funds from the County are grants that were awarded to the City prior to the fiscal year and have not been appropriated to the City’s Intergovernmental Grants fund for the current fiscal year.
COORDINATION
The City Attorney's Office coordinated with the Community Services Department, Financial Services Department, the Police Department, and the City Manager’s Office in connection with the preparation of this report.
FISCAL IMPACT
All program costs will be funded through the Los Angeles County Community Development Block Grant funds received from LACDA and the Innovation Grant received from the SBCCOG.
ATTACHMENTS
• First Amendment to SBCCOG MOU
• Resolution to appropriate balance of Innovation Grant
• Resolution to appropriate County CDBG funds