title
ACCEPTANCE OF EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT (ESG-2020-NORMAN-CI-00026) IN THE AMOUNT OF $57,134 FROM THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO BE USED AS PASS-THRU FUNDING TO THE SALVATION ARMY, A GEORGIA CORPORATION, FOR THE OPERATION OF AN EMERGENCY SHELTER, APPROVAL OF CONTRACT K-2021-80, AND BUDGET APPROPRIATION.
Body
BACKGROUND: The Oklahoma Department of Commerce (ODOC) received $1,665,623 of Emergency Solutions Grant Funds (ESG) as a result of the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 (FYE 20) Federal Appropriations to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In Oklahoma, there are a total of eight Continuum’s of Care (CoC) which are eligible for a formula award. The City of Norman is the designated Collaborative Applicant for the Norman/Cleveland County CoC. Oklahoma City and the City of Tulsa are Entitlement Communities and receive a direct award of ESG funding from HUD. The remaining ESG formula funds are awarded to the State of Oklahoma and administered thru the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and passed thru to the six rural CoC’s including Norman/Cleveland County. The Norman/Cleveland County Continuum of Care was allocated a total of $251,403 in FYE20 funds. Included within this award were applications from the Salvation Army, Food and Shelter, Inc. and Thunderbird Clubhouse, Inc. The Salvation Army application was in the amount of $57,134.
There are several criteria that must be met to be eligible to apply for ESG funding from ODOC. Included within that criteria are that a Community Action Agency or Non-Profit must have recent experience administering an ESG award. The Norman Salvation Army has successfully administered ESG awards in the past, but not within the time period specified by ODOC. If an entity does not meet the criteria for application, it is allowable for a unit of local government or a community action agency to sponsor an application. On June 9, 2020 the City Council approved allowing the City of Norman to sponsor an ESG application from the Salvation Army.
DISCUSSION: The Salvation Army is the only General Occupancy Emergency Shelter that is operated year around in Cleveland County. The funding being requested will allow for administration and general shelter operations and is administered as a reimbursable grant. With the exception of the staff time to administer the grant, no funding from the City of Norman will be utilized.
Included within the ODOC requirements, the sponsorship responsibilities of the City of Norman are as follows:
• The Sponsor (unit of local government or local Community Action Agency) will be the signatory on the contract and the direct recipient of the ESG funds. In turn, there will be a process in which the Sponsor receives documentation, such as invoices, to reimburse the non-profit for the services provided as approved in the written application.
• The Sponsor is responsible for the oversight of the financial reporting, Proof of Match and Federal Requirements of the sponsored non-profit.
• A Sponsor/Shelter Agreement must be signed and submitted to ODOC before funds can be released.
The City of Norman Planning and Community Department has experience and established policies for administering a pass-thru grant such as this. All expenditures must be made by the Salvation Army and appropriate documentation submitted to the City of Norman for review. This includes all expenditures including those that are required for match. Included also is the required data entries in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to document the clients that are receiving the services being funded by the grant. Staff reviews completeness and accuracy before initiating payment from the City of Norman to the Salvation Army. Monthly progress reports and reimbursements are then initiated from the City of Norman to ODOC. Approximately fifteen days after reimbursement, request a wire transfer is made to the designated City of Norman deposit account. Planning Department staff reconciles these expenditures and reimbursements monthly with Finance Department staff.
K-2021-80 is an electronic document in its original and executed form and the amendment attached to this item will be executed electronically by all parties once approved. The attached amendment document demonstrates the $57,134 award.
A companion contract K-2021-81 is the Sponsor-Shelter Agreement with the Salvation Army allowing the funding to pass thru from the City of Norman.
RECOMMENDATION: Approval of K-2021-80 as proposed, including acceptance of the Emergency Solutions Grant funding in the amount of $57,134.
The ESG Grant Pass-Thru revenue account (212-333320) will be utilized to receive this funding from ODOC. It is further recommended that funds be appropriated as follows:
Professional Services/Consultant/Other (21240022-44009) - $1,875
Misc. Services/Misc. Pass-Thru Reimbursement (21240022-44754) - $55,259