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Proposed Ordinance - 3/10/2022SALT LAKE CITY ORDINANCE No. _____ of 2022 (Amending Salt Lake City Code to establish a new community grant program and to create a new city board to assist with and oversee the distribution of American Rescue Plan Act funds) WHEREAS, the global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the world and local economy at an unprecedented level, and Salt Lake City’s nonprofit organizations, local businesses, and residents have been negatively impacted by the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic. WHEREAS, Salt Lake City Corporation (City) has received approximately _____ in federal funding under the American Rescue Plan Act (Rescue Plan), which must be committed by December 31, 2024 and spent by December 31, 2026. WHEREAS, the City must spend the Rescue Plan funds on certain COVID-related uses, including to support disproportionately impacted communities and to mitigate negative economic impacts within the community. WHEREAS, the City intends to create a community grant program to deploy Rescue Plan funds to support disproportionately impacted communities in the City and mitigate the negative economic impacts to the City’s local businesses and nonprofit organizations. WHEREAS, the City desires to establish criteria to quickly, transparently, and fairly deploy the Rescue Plan funds through the community grant program, and desires to create a new City board to review applications for the grant funding and make recommendations to the City Council, for its approval. WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that adopting this ordinance to establish the community grant program and to create the Community Recovery Committee to oversee the grant applications and recommendations, as set forth herein, is in the City’s best interests. NOW, THEREFORE, be it ordained by the City Council of Salt Lake City, Utah: SECTION 1. Amending the text of Salt Lake City Code Section 2.07.020. That Section 2.07.020 of the Salt Lake City Code is hereby amended to add the name of new city board which name shall be inserted into the list of city boards in alphabetical order and shall read as follows: Community recovery committee SECTION 2. Amending the text of Salt Lake City Code Subsection 2.07.040.B. That Subsection 2.07.040.B of the Salt Lake City Code is hereby amended to read as follows: B. City boards should represent a cross section of the city. To ensure that a cross section is represented, the city council should apply the following criteria in considering appointments to city boards: 1. Individuals should serve on only one board at a time, explicitly permitted in this code or other law. 2. City boards should have representatives from all geographic areas of the city. 3. Individuals who have not been involved in city government should be encouraged to participate through appointment to city boards. 4. Equal opportunity principles should be recognized in appointments. 5. Appointees should be city residents unless an exception in this code or other law applicable to a particular city board provides otherwise. SECTION 3. Amending the text of Salt Lake City Code Chapter 2.20. That Chapter 2.20 of the Salt Lake City Code is hereby renamed as the “Community Recovery Committee”, and is hereby adopted to read as follows: 2.20.010: Purpose 2.20.020: Responsibilities 2.20.030: Membership 2.20.040: Community Grant Program 2.20.050: Minimum Requirements for Community Grant Program Applications 2.20.010: PURPOSE: The Community Recovery Committee will assist with and oversee the distribution of certain Rescue Plan funds under the City’s community grant program. Consistent with this Chapter, the Community Recovery Committee will review applications for community grant program funding and make funding recommendations to the Mayor. The Mayor shall review the Community Recovery Committee’s recommendations and make a final recommendation on the use of funds to the City Council. 2.20.020: RESPONSIBILITIES: The Community Recovery Committee will: A. Advise and make recommendations to City Council on decisions related to the City’s community grant program, except the Community Recovery Committee has the authority to authorize community recovery grants to nonprofit organizations or local businesses in amounts of up to $50,000 without further recommendation or authorization by the Mayor or the City Council, so long as such grants meet the policy objectives set forth in this ordinance. B. Coordinate with relevant City departments on the review and evaluation of current strategic plans, goals, and policies of the departments’ grant programs. C. Review all eligible project proposals submitted by various business, and nonprofit organizations for the community grant program and to make recommendations to the Mayor on such requests for funds. D. Monitor the community grant program and ensure that the program is being implemented as planned and the funds from the program are utilized as recommended and approved by the Council. E. Help ensure that the community grant program goals are consistent with the strategic plans and goals of the City and are consistent with the federal requirements for utilization of Rescue Plan funds. F. Evaluate the overall effectiveness of the community grant program. 2.20.030: MEMBERSHIP: A. The Community Recovery Committee shall be made up of one member of the Human Rights Commission, one member of the Business Advisory Board, one member of the Racial Equity in Policing Commission, and one member of the Economic Development Loan Fund Committee. B. Members of the Community Recovery Committee will be appointed by the Salt Lake City Mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council. Individuals appointed to the Community Recovery Committee will be authorized under City Code to serve on two City boards. 2.20.040: COMMUNITY GRANT PROGRAM: The Administration will create the community grant program to efficiently deploy the Rescue Plan community grant program funds utilizing the following policies and objectives: A. Any application for a community grant to a nonprofit organization will focus on supporting communities disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including, but not limited to, by offering services to retrain displaced workers; providing legal or other assistance for evictions or rent relief; expanding educational opportunities; deploying resources to mitigate the digital divide; supporting parents or children affected by COVID- 19 including childcare or after school programs; and providing access to healthcare services, including mental health support. B. Any application for a community grant for local business will focus on supporting the business’s operations or employees who have been economically affected by the COVID- 19 pandemic. 2.20.050: MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMUNITY GRANT PROGRAM APPLICATIONS: Community grant program applications for either nonprofit organizations or local businesses will include, at a minimum, the following information to be considered by the Community Recovery Committee: A. The amount of community grant funds the organization is seeking and how the nonprofit organization or local businesses intends to use the proposed funds. B. Affirmation, after consultation with the City’s Finance Department, that the proposed use is eligible under the federal Rescue Plan guidelines and that the applicant will be able to spend the funds by December 31, 2024. C. Identification of how the proposed grant will meet the City’s objectives of supporting underserved communities, mitigating economic impacts on local businesses or arts organizations, or mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on the community. SECTION 4. Sunset. Upon either full expenditure of the Rescue Plan funds, or expiration of the deadline to expend such funds, the Community Recovery Committee shall cease to exist under City Code, unless the City Council expands the scope of the Community Recovery Committee’s responsibilities, in which case the Community Recovery Committee will remain in effect. SECTION 5. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall take effect immediately after it has been published in accordance with Utah Code §10-3-711 and recorded in accordance with Utah Code §10-3-713. Passed by the City Council of Salt Lake City, Utah, this ______ day of ______________, 2022. ______________________________ Dan Dugan, Council Chair ATTEST AND COUNTERSIGN: ______________________________ CITY RECORDER Transmitted to Mayor on _______________________. Mayor's Action: _______Approved. _______Vetoed. ______________________________ MAYOR ______________________________ CITY RECORDER (SEAL) Bill No. ________ of 2022. Published: ______________. APPROVED AS TO FORM Salt Lake City Attorney’s Office Date: March 9, 2022 Katherine Lewis, City Attorney