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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021 05-10 EDAPE conomic Development Authority V I RT UA L meeting being conducted by electronic means in accordance with Minnesota S tatutes, section 13D.021 P ublic portion available for connection via telephone Dial: 1-312-626- 6799 Meeting I D: 97680230856# Passcode: 7635693300# May 10, 2021 AGE NDA 1.Call to Order The City Council requests that attendees turn off cell phones and pagers during the meeting. A copy of the full C ity Counc il packet, including E D A (E conomic Development Authority ), is available to the public. The packet ring binder is located at the entrance of the council chambers. 2.Roll Call 3.Approval of Consent Agenda The following items are considered to be routine by the Economic Development Authority (E D A) and will been acted by one motion. There will be no separate disc ussion of these items unless a Commissioner so requests, in whic h event the item will be removed from the c onsent agenda and considered at the end of Commission Consideration I tems. a.Approval of Minutes - Motion to approve the April 26, 2021 minutes 4.Commission Consideration Items a.Resolution A pproving a J obs Training Service A greement with the Organization of L iberians in Minnesota - Motion to authorize a resolution approving a jobs training service agreement with the Organization of Liberians in Minnesota 5.Adjournment Economic Development Authority DAT E:5/10/2021 TO :C ity C ouncil F R O M:C urt Boganey, City Manager T H R O U G H :N/A BY:Barb S uciu, C ity C lerk S U B J E C T:A pproval of Minutes Requested Council A con: - Moon to approve the A pril 26, 2021 minutes B ackground: B udget I ssues: I nclusive C ommunity Engagement: A nracist/Equity Policy Effect: S trategic Priories and Values: O pera,onal Excellence AT TA C H M E N TS : D escrip,on U pload D ate Type 4/26/2021 M inutes 5/4/2021 Backup M aterial 04/26/21 -1- DRAFT MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPIN AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA REGULAR SESSION APRIL 26, 2021 1. CALL TO ORDER The Brooklyn Center Economic Development Authority (EDA) met in Regular Session called to order by President Mike Elliott at 7:55 p.m. The meeting was conducted via Zoom. 2. ROLL CALL President Mike Elliott and Commissioners Marquita Butler, April Graves, and Dan Ryan. Commissioner Kris Lawrence-Anderson was excused. Also present were Acting Executive Director Reggie Edwards, Community Development Director Meg Beekman, City Clerk Barb Suciu, and City Attorney Troy Gilchrist. 3. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA Commissioner Ryan moved and Commissioner Graves seconded to approve the Agenda and Consent Agenda, and the following item was approved: 3a. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. March 8, 2021 Motion passed unanimously. 4. COMMISSION CONSIDERATION ITEMS 4a. RESOLUTION NO. 2021-04 ESTABLISHING A MICRO-GRANT FAÇADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM Acting Executive Director Reggie Edwards introduced the item, noting it is appropriate to consider establishing a Micro-Grant Façade Improvement Program, especially as we go through this time of civil unrest where in places there has been some graffiti. He invited Community Development Director Beekman to present this item. Community Development Director Meg Beekman reviewed a PowerPoint presentation related to the creation of a Micro-Grant Façade Improvement Program. She noted the Council had established strategic priorities for the 2021 budget and those priorities did include beautification and clean-up of commercial properties as a top priority for the City. Under that strategic priority, 04/26/21 -2- DRAFT there are several initiatives identified, one of which was to support the creation of a program to incentivize a business with clean-up and property improvements. Economic Development Coordinator Vong Thao has been meeting with businesses and doing commercial property assessments to formulate the basis and groundwork for this program. She noted that while staff has been developing this program, staff had not anticipated bringing it to the EDA this soon. Ms. Beekman explained the program is designed to support businesses making exterior façade improvements. To address current needs, the staff made adjustments and expanded scoring to facilitate businesses that have experienced damage or vandalism as a result of civil unrest. Ms. Beekman stated the purpose of the Micro-Grant Façade Improvement Program is to provide matching grants of up to $5,000 to support small and medium-sized businesses in the City with exterior improvements, beautification, and repairs. The intention is to encourage and assist businesses with improving the exterior of properties while improving the public realm, beautifying businesses, improving public safety, and maintaining cleanliness. Ms. Beekman presented the goals of the program as detailed in tonight’s meeting packet, noting the purpose is to improve the customer experience and contribute to the aesthetic quality of the area as well as other items related to conforming to zoning and being consistent with the City’s Comprehensive Plan. Ms. Beekman described the eligible uses that focus on exterior permanent improvements as well as permanent site improvements. She noted also included in the repair or inclusion of trash and mechanical enclosures, which Code requires but some properties were built before that regulation do not have, as well as parking area repairs for potholes, re-striping, and inclusion of bicycle facilities. Ms. Beekman stated staff has also heard from businesses that there is a desire to add security, such as security cameras, to improve safety for businesses and the installation of fences. She noted building materials for any of the above-identified items would be included in the event the business owner is doing the work. The work does not need to be done by a commercial contractor. Ms. Beekman stated the grant would be for a minimum of $1,000 and up to $5,000. One provision included, which ties back to litter and trash, is to provide property maintenance and beautification plan that explains how the parking lot and landscape areas will be free of trash and litter. This also provides an opportunity to educate the property owner/property manager about trash and litter and identify plans for how to maintain that, whether through additional trash receptacles, covering trash receptacles, and/or assigning staff to come out regularly to clean up. Ms. Beekman stated the program would require a dollar-for-dollar match of up to $5,000. Staff talked with folks who have been working with some of the City’s small businesses to get feedback on the program. One concern mentioned was around businesses not being eligible if they are not able to provide the match. In some cases with businesses that have experienced damage, insurance may not be covering some of that work. Because of that, staff included a condition to allow the match to be reduced if the business was damaged as a result of civil unrest and providing a match is not possible. Ms. Beekman stated staff is working with other resources and agencies that can 04/26/21 -3- DRAFT provide some services at no cost to businesses so this is also an opportunity to have a conversation with the business and make sure the City is offering all the resources available. Ms. Beekman explained the process would be to apply on a rolling basis; EDA staff will review and score the applications; EDA staff will prepare recommendations to the EDA for approval; and, the EDA will then consider and approve all grant awards. Ms. Beekman reviewed the scoring criteria, noting it focuses on several categories such as aesthetic improvement and curb appeal (visual improvement); community impact (positive impacts to surrounding properties and community); affected by civil unrest (will receive additional points); local economic impact (utilize local contractors/vendors/financial institutions); readiness (timeframe to complete work, funding available for match); and, local business impact (business owned at least 25% by resident of metro area, size of business, owned by female person of color). Ms. Beekman stated the action being requested is a motion to approve the resolution approving Policy and procedures for a Micro-grant Façade Improvement Program and authorizing staff to implement the program. President Elliott opened the floor for public comment. Gail Ebert, a resident, stated she finds the last criteria to be a little unfair as white men also own businesses in the area. Commissioner Graves noted that is just part of the scoring criteria and other items scored include aesthetic improvement or curb appeal, community impact, whether impacted by civil unrest, local economic impact, readiness or likelihood the project would be completed in a reasonable timeframe and local community impact, which speaks to the last sentence that Ms. Ebert mentioned. She explained that is worth five points within the entire point scoring system of the application and does not mean it is excluding a white male small business owner from applying at all. It just means that if they’re not, they would not get that particular part of the scoring criteria, but it does not mean they would not get as high of a point on the other scoring criteria. She stated it is dependent on the business and she hopes her comments have added some clarity. Commissioner Graves stated in general, she thinks the proposal before the EDA is well balanced and timely. She stated when looking at the scoring criteria, she had questions on each one but the further she read, the more she felt staff had done a really good job in thinking about how to be equitable and fair in the scoring process, which sometimes is not easy. She stated she hopes the City does a good job in getting these applications out to businesses that need to receive them. Commissioner Graves referenced the criteria for security cameras and asked what it is the Brooklyn Center Police Department specifically is approving about the security cameras. She is also curious if a business were to only use the funding for security cameras, noting that would not feel good aesthetically or be an aesthetic/façade improvement. Ms. Beekman explained that the safety and security piece has been part of the concept for this program since its inception after conversing with businesses and trying to understand their needs. She agreed that a façade improvement program would typically not include security cameras but as staff spoke with 04/26/21 -4- DRAFT businesses, it was clear that was something they felt there was need around so it was added in response to that conversation. Ms. Beekman stated in terms of the Brooklyn Center Police Department, can provide consultation on what is the best location for cameras to ensure they are placed effectively. That is the intent of the language. Ms. Beekman explained that based on the scoring criteria, she does not know that a project only including security cameras would work particularly well in terms of aesthetic impact or some of the other scoring criteria. She agreed that as a stand-alone project it would probably not be a high priority but, again, it was included based on conversations with businesses wanting assistance around security cameras. Commissioner Graves thanked Ms. Beekman for providing that clarity and stated she does not have further questions. She stated she is in favor of the proposed resolution. President Elliott stated he also supports the resolution, thinks it’s a great program, but wants to make sure the emphasis is on exterior façade and landscaping to beautify business areas. President Elliott moved and Commissioner Ryan seconded to adopt EDA RESOLUTION NO. 2021-04 Approving Policy and Procedures for Micro-Grant Façade Improvement Program. Motion passed unanimously. Commissioner Graves recommended staff revisit the language in the list of eligible uses and consider a different word than ‘approved.’ Ms. Beekman stated staff will assure the intent is clear. 5. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Ryan moved and Commissioner Butler seconded adjournment of the Economic Development Authority meeting at 8:16 p.m. Motion passed unanimously. Economic Development Authority DAT E:5/10/2021 TO :C ity C ouncil F R O M:C urt Boganey, City Manager T H R O U G H :N/A BY:M eg Beekman, C ommunity D evelopment D irector S U B J E C T:Res olu+on A pproving a J obs Training S ervice A greement w ith the O rganiz a+on of L iberians in M innesota Requested Council A con: - Moon to authorize a resoluon approving a jobs training service agreement with the Organiz aon of Liberians in Minnesota B ackground: The C ity C ouncil iden+fied the s trategic priority of Res ident Economic S tability as part of their 2021 budge+ng proces s . This priority includes a number of ini+a+ves and ac+ons related to workforce and economic development, to s upport stabiliz ing and increasing res ident incomes. The C ity's primary program dedicated to w orkforce development is Brooklynk, which focuses on youth in the community and crea+ng pathways to college and future employment. The City does not have a program currently w hich focus es on pathw ays to w orkforce training for adults. Recently the City of Brooklyn Park entered into an agreement with the O rganiza+on for Liberians in Minnes ota (O L M) to implement a healthcare training program which would provide job training and career pathways for adults in the community who had los t their jobs as a result of the pandemic, and were s eeking new careers . O L M reached out to the C ity of Brooklyn C enter and s ubmi:ed a propos al to expand the program to include Brooklyn Center res idents as w ell. Their proposal is a:ached to this report. O verview O L M is pr opos ing as par t of the H ealthcar e C areers Training project to prov ide training and job s earch assistance support for 30 community members w ho are Brookly n Center res idents . They are propos ing to offer this program on an annual bas is , though the contract would pr ovide for the firs t year only. The E DA can deter mine to extend the program in 2022. T his project ros e in impor tance for O L M becaus e of an increased need for s table jobs , due to lay-offs brought on by the C O V I D -1 9 pandemic and s ubs equent stay- at-home or der s w hich have impacted indus tries like retail, food s ervice and manufacturing. I n order to appropriately s uppor t the tr ainees dur ing and aCer their tr aining, O L M has nego+ated with three local A frican immigrant-owned healthcare training ins+tu+ons to provide culturally specific training and addi+onal cer+fica+on and job prep as s is tance. A s par t of adminis tering the program, O L M w ould hire a half-+me P roject Coor dinator pos i+on to s upport the trainees , the training ins +tu+on par tner s and the volunteer mentors from the community. The pur pos e of this program is to train thirty Brooklyn C enter r es idents to earn an entry level healthcare cer+fica+on that will provide thes e residents w ith the training and sk ills neces s ary to regain employment aCer j ob los s es due to C O V I D -1 9 . A pproximately twenty-fiv e res idents will enroll in Cer+fied Nurs ing A s s is tant /H ome H ealth A ide (C N A /H H A ) training and approximately fiv e will enr oll in Trained M edica+on A ide (T M A ) training. The training would be open to all Brooklyn Center residents , regardles s of ethnic background. Background O L M has been in exis tence since the 1980’s and s erves a community of ov er 40,0 0 0 L iberians in M innesota. O L M ’s programs hav e included: 1) a s enior program serv ing 200 s enior s a y ear, 2) a youth program that includes an aC er-school program, and 3 ) a community outreach program. O L M als o helps community members to access city, county, and s tate assistance and res ources . The C O V I D -19 pandemic has resulted in los t r ev enue for O L M due to the closure of its main s our ce of revenue, a facility rental hall, and the simultaneous ly increas ed need from community members . The primary popula+on serv ed by O L M is the Wes t A frican community, a popula+on that is greatly impacted by the pandemic. S ince the s ummer of 2020, O L M has partnered w ith s everal funding par tner s including H ennepin C ounty and the ci+es of Br ookly n Park and Brook lyn C enter to roll out needed ini+a+ves in r es pons e to community needs caused or made w or s e by the pandemic including v oter educa+on, food dis tribu+on and hous ing assistance nav iga+on. H ow ever, O L M has cons is tently hear d from community members receiving direct s ervices that ther e is a greater need to obtain cer+fica+ons and r etur n to w ork. S o far over fiCy community members hav e indicated the des ire to get trained for entry lev el healthcare j obs , an indus tr y that has con+nued to s ee grow th in the number of w orkers needed despite the pandemic. I n order to be res pons ive to community-driven demands for w ork force development and other community s ervices , we are propos ing to partner w ith O L M on this w ork as a s ole s our ce contract for this pilot program. The following things were cons ider ed w hen determining that a non-compe++vely s ecur ed contract is appropriate for this w ork: The unique nature of the program The E D A’s des ire to partner w ith more local busines s es and organiz a+ons doing w ork in Brooklyn Center O L M ’s experience and his tory w ith the Brooklyn C enter community and their ability to provide culturally relevant and flexible services to Brooklyn C enter residents , such as language support, food s ervices , or other programs H ow will the program be delivered? T hree local healthcare training ins+tu+ons will partner with O L M to offer these cer+fica+ons: J J School of Technology, N orth Metro Health I ns+tute, and N orth American Medical Academy. All three ins+tu+ons are: L ocated in the ci+es of B rooklyn Park or B rooklyn C enter; O w ned and operated by local s mall bus iness owners; S taffed with teachers and s taff w ho are immigrants w ho unders tand the immigrant experience and can offer cultur ally appr opriate instr uc+on, tailoring the training concepts in the dialect s poken by the trainees ; and A ble to offer programming on a flexible s chedule meaning that a trainee can take anyw here from 3 w eeks to 3 months to complete their training. This allows individuals w ho aren’t able to par+cipate in a fixed program the opportunity to complete the training and provides addi+onal opportunity to thos e w ith barriers to employment s uch as low literacy or English skills to complete the program. P roviding pos t-graduate naviga+on services for 6 months (post-gradua+on/cer+fica+on). A ll three (3) s chools offer a C er +fied N urs ing A s s is tant /H ome H ealth A ide (C N A /H H A ) tr aining as w ell as F irst A id, C P R (car diopulmonary resuscita+on) and M ental H ealth F irs t A id. The combina+on of the trainings they offer allows their graduates to s tand out in the field becaus e they have all the basic training and cer+fica+ons needed for a Cer+fied Nurs ing A s s is tant or H ome H ealth A ide pos i+on in home and ins +tu+onal seKngs (including gr oup homes , assisted living, nurs ing homes and hos pitals ). I n addi+on, North A mer ican M edical A cademy is accr edited by the Minnes ota O ffice of H igher Educa+on (O H E) to provide Trained M edical A ide training (a second level healthcare career). O L M and the C ity of Brooklyn C enter will contribute marke+ng s upport for this program. O L M w ill reach out to their own community, w hich is primarily Wes t A frican but includes H mong, L a+nx, and other na+onali+es. The city will als o pr omote the program on city outreach channels to ensure that the program is open and acces s ible to all cultural communi+es . W hat is the esmated budget for this program? The proposed budget includes tui+on and s upplies for program par +cipants as w ell as staff +me and other adminis tra+ve costs. Reimbursable adminis tr a+ve expenses include prorated phone, u+li+es , internet s ervice, liability insurance, office supplies , etc. The es+mated budget breakdow n is as follows: A dministrave costs H ours/week M onthly Total S alaries/personnel Execu+ve D irector 2 $ 350 $4,192 P roject Coordinator 10 $ 1,249 $14,989 O ther administrave (includes phone, internet, general liability insurance, office supplies etc.) $450 $5,400 Training costs Itemized expense Per parcipant Total C N A (25 trainees ) Tui+on $800 $20,000 M aterials /supplies $200 $5,000 Exam fee $200 $5,000 T M A (5 trainees ) Tui+on $650 $3,250 TOTA L R EQ U E S T $57,836 To appr opriately s uppor t the par+cipants during and aCer their tr aining, O L M has nego+ated with the training ins +tu+on partners to pr ovide addi+onal job pr ep as s is tance. I n addi+on, O L M w ill us e this funding to employ a new 0.5 full +me equiv alent (F T E) P roj ect C oordinator role to broadly market the opportunity, receive training reques ts , res pond to community ques +ons, act as a liaison to trainees and coor dinate a team of volunteer community mentors (that are nurs es and C N A /H H A ) that have volunteered to mentor and pr ovide guidance for the trainees about job s earch and on the job experiences in entry-level healthcare careers. F unding for this propos al will also cov er addi+onal administra+ve cos ts such as office s upplies and Execu+ve D irector s taff +me to manage agreements , monitor project progres s , deliv er training and complete repor+ng. P roject S chedule A n es+mated project +meline w ith the dates for each component is as follows: May 10, 2021: E DA approval. May 2021: O L M hires a P roject C oordinator. May 2021: O L M begins marke+ng the opportunity and enrolling par+cipants in training. June 2 0 2 1 -S eptember 2021: Par+cipants complete training and O L M and the City begin conduc+ng follow up ac+vi+es. - D ue to training slot capacity and to allow for needed support, O L M plans to s end trainees to the ins +tu+ons in 2 batches . A ugust 2021: Job fair for graduates. July 2021 - May 2022: P rovide naviga+on and job search s upport for graduates. P rogram Outcomes P roject benchmark s include individuals w ho have s tar ted and completed training, r eceived cer+fica+on, and been placed in jobs. O L M ’s tar get at the end of this 1-year contract is to hav e 25 indiv iduals r eceive C N A cer+fica+on and 5 r eceive T M A cer+fica+on w ith at leas t 75% being r etained in j obs for 6 months aCer cer+fica+on. S uccessful comple+on of thes e measures is a quan+ta+v e evalua+on meas ure for the program. O L M w ill also conduct a follow-up mee+ng or have a follow -up conversa+on w ith program par+cipants 6 months aCer the training to determine the effec+venes s of the program. F inally, the City will develop an exit survey in collabora+on with O L M to give to class par+cipants aCer the training. B udget I ssues: P rogram expenditures w ould be from the E DA fund. This is not currently a budgeted E DA expenditure for 2021. F unds would come from E DA reserves. I nclusive C ommunity Engagement: A nracist/Equity Policy Effect: S trategic Priories and Values: Resident Economic S tability AT TA C H M E N TS : D escrip+on U pload D ate Type P rogram P roposal 5/3/2021 Backup M aterial Res olu+on 5/3/2021 Resolu+on Le:er Summary The organization of Liberians in Minnesota (OLM) seeks $57,836 from the City of Brooklyn Center for a Healthcare Careers training project to provide training and job search assistance support for 30 community members who are Brooklyn Center residents per year. This project has risen in importance for OLM because of an increased need for stable jobs by our community members caused by lay-offs brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic stay at home orders and its impact on industries like retail, food, factory and warehouses. In order to appropriately support the trainees during and after their training, OLM has negotiated with three local African immigrant owned healthcare training institutions to provide culturally specific training and additional certification and job prep assistance to our members. In addition, OLM proposes to hire a half-time Project Coordinator role that will be employed by OLM to support the trainees, the training institution partners and the volunteer mentors from our community to make this project a reality. Background OLM has been in existence since the 1980s and serves a community of over 40,000 Liberians in Minnesota. Most Liberians within Hennepin County are located in the cities of Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center. OLM’s programs have included: 1) a senior program serving 200 seniors a year, 2) a youth program that includes an after-school program, and 3) a community outreach program as well as helping community members to access city, county and state assistance and resources. Pre-COVID-19, our main source of income was our facility hall rental that generates an average of about $3,150/month. This funding helped to keep our doors open to the community since it is used to pay our property association fees, utilities bills, and run our programs as well as provide gas stipend for our volunteers. The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted our revenue and reduced our ability to carry out our programs and function to our full capacity. At the same time, we saw increased needs from our community as members lost their jobs due to the pandemic. The primary target for our services is West Africans especially Liberians who are a fairly new immigrant population in Minnesota. This population is greatly impacted by the pandemic because they are likely to have the following characteristics: 1) have lower incomes and wealth; 2) have low literacy and English skills; 3) they a lack a familiarity with the Minnesota systems of assistance; and 4) are at a higher risk for COVID-19 since most West Africans are more likely to work in front line jobs in retail, hospitality, factories and warehouses. Most of the industries our members worked in pre-pandemic were impacted by massive layoffs due to stay-at-home orders which made for increased need for our services as well as new needs in our community that we needed to address. Since the summer of 2020, OLM partnered with several funding partners including Hennepin County, the cities of Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center to roll out needed initiatives in response to community needs caused or made worse by the pandemic including voter education, food distribution and housing assistance navigation. Through our staff’s interactions with the community this summer, we have repeatedly heard from members accessing our services that while they appreciate what we were able to offer i.e., food shelf and assistance accessing emergency financial resources, they were interested in going back to work and taking care of their families. We have had several members ask for help in getting trained for entry level healthcare jobs, an industry that has continued to see growth in the number of workers needed despite the pandemic. So far we have had twelve (12) community members indicate wanting to get this healthcare training. Program description The purpose of this program is to train thirty (30) Brooklyn Center residents to earn an entry level healthcare certification to provide these residents with the training and skills necessary to regain employment after job losses due to COVID-19. Approximately twenty-five (25) residents will enroll in Certified Nursing Assistant /Home Health Aide (CNA/HHA) training and approximately five (5) will enroll in Trained Medication Aide (TMA) training. The training is open to all Brooklyn Center residents, regardless of ethnic background. Certifications Three local healthcare training institutions will partner with OLM to offer these certifications: JJ school of Technology, North Metro Health Institute, and North American Medical Academy. All three (3) institutions are: 1) Located in the cities of Brooklyn Park or Brooklyn Center; 2) Owned and operated by community members; 3) Staffed with teachers and staff who are immigrants who understand the immigrant experience and can offer culturally appropriate instruction, tailoring the training concepts in in the dialect spoken by the trainees; and 4) Able to offer programming on a flexible schedule meaning that a trainee can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months to complete their training, a critical schedule because of low literacy and English skills among our members and allowing individuals who aren’t able to participate in a fixed program the opportunity to complete the training. All three (3) schools offer a Certified Nursing Assistant /Home Health Aide (CNA/HHA) training as well as First Aid, CPR and Mental Health First Aid. The combination of the trainings they offer allows their graduates to stand out in the field because they have all the basic training and certifications needed for a Certified Nursing Assistant or Home Health Aide position in home and institutional settings (including group homes, assisted living, nursing homes and hospitals). In addition, North American Medical Academy is accredited by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) to provide Trained Medical Aide training (a second level healthcare career) that is also popular among our members. Training cost The average cost per trainee in the CNA/HHA training is $1,200 which includes books and materials, uniforms and the cost for the state certification exam. The cost for the Trained Medication Aide (TMA) training at North American Medical Academy is $650. Per participant Total Training Cost (CNA/HHA) (50 trainees) $ 30,000 Tuition $800 $20,000 Materials/supplies $200 $5,000 Exam fee $200 $5,000 Training Cost (TMA) (10 trainees) $ 3,250 Tuition $650 $3,250 TOTAL Trainee Cost $33,250 Job search assistance In order to appropriately support the participants during and after their training OLM has negotiated with our training institution partners to provide additional job prep assistance. In addition, OLM proposes to staff a 10 hours/week Navigator role that will be employed by OLM. The Navigator will have the following responsibilities: 1. Receiving requests for job training assistance from the community and answering questions for community members. 2. Wait listing members interested in the training who cannot immediately start training due to funding and training slots capacity at our partner training institutions 3. Act as liaison with trainees and training institutions during registration/admission processes as well as with any matters that may arise. 4. Coordinating a team of volunteer community mentors (that are nurses and CNA/HHA) that have volunteered to mentor and provide guidance for the trainees about job search and on the job experiences in entry-level healthcare careers. A portion of these funds will support administrative costs to run this program. The Executive Director will work 2 hours/week and have the following responsibilities: 1. Ensure that agreements with the training institutions are executed and monitored 2. Approve payments for expenses made on behalf of trainees 3. Responsible for monitoring project progress to ensure project success and compliance with the funding requirements. 4. Work in tandem with the Navigator ensure that trainees obtain necessary mentoring and connection to employers. 5. Complete all reporting needed for the project. The total budget, including personnel, administrative costs, and training, is: Hours/Week Monthly Total Salaries/personnel Executive Director 2 $ 3504 $4,192 Navigator 10 $ 1,249 $14,989 Training Costs CNA $30,000 TMA $3,250 Administrative Cost (includes rent, phone, internet, general liability insurance, office supplies etc.) $ 450 $ 5,400 TOTAL YEAR 1 REQUEST $ 57,836 Proposed Timeline (can be adjusted) ● April 27, 2021: Submitted to Brooklyn Center ● May 2021: Approval by City of Brooklyn Center ● May 2021: OLM hires a Project Coordinator ● May 2021: OLM begins enrolling participants in training (if approved by City of Brooklyn Center) ● June 2021 - September 2021: Participants complete training and OLM and the City conduct follow up activities ○ Timeline gives flexibility for participants to complete in 1-5 months depending on individual needs. ○ In addition due to training slot capacity and to allow for needed support, we plan to send trainees to the institutions in 2 batches. ● August 2021: Job fair for graduates ● July 2021 - May 2022: Provide navigation and job search support for graduates Reporting Before receiving subsequent payments, every other month, OLM will provide program and financial reports for the receding two months to the City. Programmatic Reporting will include: ● A detailed report including the Names, addresses, who has enrolled, who has completed, who have been certified, and job placements. A summary of successes and challenges. ● Results of the short survey OLM will conduct asking participants about their experience in the training. ● We anticipate that the following benchmarks: ○ July 2021: At least 15 individuals (Round #1) have started training; the report would include any that may have completed the training or been certified ○ September 2021: All 30 individuals have started training; At least 10 individuals will have completed the training; At least 5 individuals will be certified; At least 3 individuals will be placed in jobs. ○ November 2021: At least 15 individuals will have completed the training; At least 10 individuals will be certified; At least 7 individuals will be placed in jobs. ○ January 2022: All 30 individuals will have completed the training; At least 20 individuals will be certified; At least 15 individuals will be placed in jobs ○ March 2022: All 30 individuals will be trained and certified; At least 25 individuals will be certified; At least 20 individuals will be placed in jobs ○ May 2022: All 30 individuals will be trained, certified and placed in jobs; At least 75% will be retained in jobs for 6 months after placement. Financial Report will include: ● A detailed programmatic report as laid out above. ● Documentation of expenses incurred in the preceding 2 months in line with the approved budget and actual expenses related to training costs. Documents verifying payments can be availed as needed by the City. ● Before final payment, the following reporting will be submitted to the City: o OLM will conduct a follow-up meeting or have a follow-up conversation with program participants 6 months after the training to determine the effectiveness of the program. o The City will develop an exit survey in collaboration with OLM to give to class participants after the training. The City will also do post-training follow-up with 5-7 participants to inquire about their experience in the training and job placement after earning their certifications. Payment Upon the signing of this contract, the City of Brooklyn Center will provide 30% of the total grant amount in up-front costs to OLM. The remaining costs will be paid by the City of Brooklyn Center to OLM on a reimbursement basis every two months (July 2021, September 2021, November 2021, January 2022, March 2022, and May 2022). An amount to repay the advance amount will be held back in four (4) instalments until the amount is paid off. BR305-1-718678.v1 Commissioner _______________________ introduced the following resolution and moved its adoption: EDA RESOLUTION NO. 2021-_____ RESOLUTION APPROVING A JOBS TRAINING SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH THE ORGANIZATION OF LIBERIANS IN MINNESOTA WHEREAS, the Economic Development Authority of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota (the “EDA”) was created pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, sections 469.090 through 469.1082 to exercise its powers to promote and protect economic development within the City of Brooklyn Center (“City”); and WHEREAS, the EDA has broad authority under Minnesota Statutes, sections 469.090- 469.1082 and 469.152-469.1655 to assist in creating and preserving jobs, and to provide for job training; and WHEREAS, the Organization of Liberians in Minnesota (“OLM”) submitted a proposal, which is attached hereto as Exhibit A, (“Proposal”) to undertake a healthcare career training project that would provide training and job search support for up to 30 City residents per year; and WHEREAS, the OLM is a well-established organization in the community that has demonstrated its effectiveness in carrying out programs to assist City residents; and WHEREAS, the EDA determines it is in the best interests of the community to authorize a service agreement with OLM as set out in the Proposal to further its goal of creating and preserving local jobs. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Economic Development Authority of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota Board of Commissioners as follows: 1. The EDA agrees to enter into a service agreement with OLM to reimburse up to $57,836 in healthcare job training costs as provided in the Proposal. 2. EDA staff are authorized to prepare a service agreement with OLM and to take all other actions as may be needed to carry out the intent of this Resolution. 3. The EDA President and Executive Director are authorized to execute the service agreement on behalf of the EDA once it is finalized. _________________________ ______________________________ Date President BR305-1-718678.v1 The motion for the adoption of the foregoing resolution was duly seconded by Commissioner and upon vote being taken thereon, the following voted in favor thereof: and the following voted against the same: whereupon said resolution was declared duly passed and adopted. BR305-1-718678.v1 EXHIBIT A OLM Proposal Summary The organization of Liberians in Minnesota (OLM) seeks $57,836 from the City of Brooklyn Center for a Healthcare Careers training project to provide training and job search assistance support for 30 community members who are Brooklyn Center residents per year. This project has risen in importance for OLM because of an increased need for stable jobs by our community members caused by lay-offs brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic stay at home orders and its impact on industries like retail, food, factory and warehouses. In order to appropriately support the trainees during and after their training, OLM has negotiated with three local African immigrant owned healthcare training institutions to provide culturally specific training and additional certification and job prep assistance to our members. In addition, OLM proposes to hire a half-time Project Coordinator role that will be employed by OLM to support the trainees, the training institution partners and the volunteer mentors from our community to make this project a reality. Background OLM has been in existence since the 1980s and serves a community of over 40,000 Liberians in Minnesota. Most Liberians within Hennepin County are located in the cities of Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center. OLM’s programs have included: 1) a senior program serving 200 seniors a year, 2) a youth program that includes an after-school program, and 3) a community outreach program as well as helping community members to access city, county and state assistance and resources. Pre-COVID-19, our main source of income was our facility hall rental that generates an average of about $3,150/month. This funding helped to keep our doors open to the community since it is used to pay our property association fees, utilities bills, and run our programs as well as provide gas stipend for our volunteers. The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted our revenue and reduced our ability to carry out our programs and function to our full capacity. At the same time, we saw increased needs from our community as members lost their jobs due to the pandemic. The primary target for our services is West Africans especially Liberians who are a fairly new immigrant population in Minnesota. This population is greatly impacted by the pandemic because they are likely to have the following characteristics: 1) have lower incomes and wealth; 2) have low literacy and English skills; 3) they a lack a familiarity with the Minnesota systems of assistance; and 4) are at a higher risk for COVID-19 since most West Africans are more likely to work in front line jobs in retail, hospitality, factories and warehouses. Most of the industries our members worked in pre-pandemic were impacted by massive layoffs due to stay-at-home orders which made for increased need for our services as well as new needs in our community that we needed to address. Since the summer of 2020, OLM partnered with several funding partners including Hennepin County, the cities of Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center to roll out needed initiatives in response to community needs caused or made worse by the pandemic including voter education, food distribution and housing assistance navigation. Through our staff’s interactions with the community this summer, we have repeatedly heard from members accessing our services that while they appreciate what we were able to offer i.e., food shelf and assistance accessing emergency financial resources, they were interested in going back to work and taking care of their families. We have had several members ask for help in getting trained for entry level healthcare jobs, an industry that has continued to see growth in the number of workers needed despite the BR305-1-718678.v1 pandemic. So far we have had twelve (12) community members indicate wanting to get this healthcare training. Program description The purpose of this program is to train thirty (30) Brooklyn Center residents to earn an entry level healthcare certification to provide these residents with the training and skills necessary to regain employment after job losses due to COVID-19. Approximately twenty-five (25) residents will enroll in Certified Nursing Assistant /Home Health Aide (CNA/HHA) training and approximately five (5) will enroll in Trained Medication Aide (TMA) training. The training is open to all Brooklyn Center residents, regardless of ethnic background. Certifications Three local healthcare training institutions will partner with OLM to offer these certifications: JJ school of Technology, North Metro Health Institute, and North American Medical Academy. All three (3) institutions are: 1) Located in the cities of Brooklyn Park or Brooklyn Center; 2) Owned and operated by community members; 3) Staffed with teachers and staff who are immigrants who understand the immigrant experience and can offer culturally appropriate instruction, tailoring the training concepts in in the dialect spoken by the trainees; and 4) Able to offer programming on a flexible schedule meaning that a trainee can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months to complete their training, a critical schedule because of low literacy and English skills among our members and allowing individuals who aren’t able to participate in a fixed program the opportunity to complete the training. All three (3) schools offer a Certified Nursing Assistant /Home Health Aide (CNA/HHA) training as well as First Aid, CPR and Mental Health First Aid. The combination of the trainings they offer allows their graduates to stand out in the field because they have all the basic training and certifications needed for a Certified Nursing Assistant or Home Health Aide position in home and institutional settings (including group homes, assisted living, nursing homes and hospitals). In addition, North American Medical Academy is accredited by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) to provide Trained Medical Aide training (a second level healthcare career) that is also popular among our members. Training cost The average cost per trainee in the CNA/HHA training is $1,200 which includes books and materials, uniforms and the cost for the state certification exam. The cost for the Trained Medication Aide (TMA) training at North American Medical Academy is $650. Per participant Total Training Cost (CNA/HHA) (50 trainees) $ 30,000 Tuition $800 $20,000 Materials/supplies $200 $5,000 Exam fee $200 $5,000 Training Cost (TMA) (10 trainees) $ 3,250 BR305-1-718678.v1 Tuition $650 $3,250 TOTAL Trainee Cost $33,250 Job search assistance In order to appropriately support the participants during and after their training OLM has negotiated with our training institution partners to provide additional job prep assistance. In addition, OLM proposes to staff a 10 hours/week Navigator role that will be employed by OLM. The Navigator will have the following responsibilities: 1. Receiving requests for job training assistance from the community and answering questions for community members. 2. Wait listing members interested in the training who cannot immediately start training due to funding and training slots capacity at our partner training institutions 3. Act as liaison with trainees and training institutions during registration/admission processes as well as with any matters that may arise. 4. Coordinating a team of volunteer community mentors (that are nurses and CNA/HHA) that have volunteered to mentor and provide guidance for the trainees about job search and on the job experiences in entry-level healthcare careers. A portion of these funds will support administrative costs to run this program. The Executive Director will work 2 hours/week and have the following responsibilities: 1. Ensure that agreements with the training institutions are executed and monitored 2. Approve payments for expenses made on behalf of trainees 3. Responsible for monitoring project progress to ensure project success and compliance with the funding requirements. 4. Work in tandem with the Navigator ensure that trainees obtain necessary mentoring and connection to employers. 5. Complete all reporting needed for the project. The total budget, including personnel, administrative costs, and training, is: Hours/Week Monthly Total Salaries/personnel Executive Director 2 $ 3504 $4,192 Navigator 10 $ 1,249 $14,989 Training Costs CNA $30,000 TMA $3,250 Administrative Cost (includes rent, phone, internet, general liability insurance, office supplies etc.) $ 450 $ 5,400 TOTAL YEAR 1 REQUEST $ 57,836 BR305-1-718678.v1 Proposed Timeline (can be adjusted) ● April 27, 2021: Submitted to Brooklyn Center ● May 2021: Approval by City of Brooklyn Center ● May 2021: OLM hires a Project Coordinator ● May 2021: OLM begins enrolling participants in training (if approved by City of Brooklyn Center) ● June 2021 - September 2021: Participants complete training and OLM and the City conduct follow up activities ○ Timeline gives flexibility for participants to complete in 1-5 months depending on individual needs. ○ In addition due to training slot capacity and to allow for needed support, we plan to send trainees to the institutions in 2 batches. ● August 2021: Job fair for graduates ● July 2021 - May 2022: Provide navigation and job search support for graduates Reporting Before receiving subsequent payments, every other month, OLM will provide program and financial reports for the receding two months to the City. Programmatic Reporting will include: ● A detailed report including the Names, addresses, who has enrolled, who has completed, who have been certified, and job placements. A summary of successes and challenges. ● Results of the short survey OLM will conduct asking participants about their experience in the training. ● We anticipate that the following benchmarks: ○ July 2021: At least 15 individuals (Round #1) have started training; the report would include any that may have completed the training or been certified ○ September 2021: All 30 individuals have started training; At least 10 individuals will have completed the training; At least 5 individuals will be certified; At least 3 individuals will be placed in jobs. ○ November 2021: At least 15 individuals will have completed the training; At least 10 individuals will be certified; At least 7 individuals will be placed in jobs. ○ January 2022: All 30 individuals will have completed the training; At least 20 individuals will be certified; At least 15 individuals will be placed in jobs ○ March 2022: All 30 individuals will be trained and certified; At least 25 individuals will be certified; At least 20 individuals will be placed in jobs ○ May 2022: All 30 individuals will be trained, certified and placed in jobs; At least 75% will be retained in jobs for 6 months after placement. Financial Report will include: ● A detailed programmatic report as laid out above. BR305-1-718678.v1 ● Documentation of expenses incurred in the preceding 2 months in line with the approved budget and actual expenses related to training costs. Documents verifying payments can be availed as needed by the City. ● Before final payment, the following reporting will be submitted to the City: o OLM will conduct a follow-up meeting or have a follow-up conversation with program participants 6 months after the training to determine the effectiveness of the program. o The City will develop an exit survey in collaboration with OLM to give to class participants after the training. The City will also do post-training follow-up with 5-7 participants to inquire about their experience in the training and job placement after earning their certifications. Payment Upon the signing of this contract, the City of Brooklyn Center will provide 30% of the total grant amount in up-front costs to OLM. The remaining costs will be paid by the City of Brooklyn Center to OLM on a reimbursement basis every two months (July 2021, September 2021, November 2021, January 2022, March 2022, and May 2022). An amount to repay the advance amount will be held back in four (4) instalments until the amount is paid off.