HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 2021-03-30 @6:00SQVTK SANS MINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING
CJ
U O
CITY COUNCIL
`gLiFOR�� CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2021
6:00 p.m.
Teleconference via Zoom
City Council conducted this meeting in accordance with California
Governor Newsom's Executive Orders N-29-20 and N-63-20 and
COVID-19 pandemic protocols.
CALL TO ORDER Mayor Addiego called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL Present: Councilmembers Coleman, Flores, and Nicolas, Vice
Mayor Nagales, and Mayor Addiego.
AGENDA REVIEW
No changes.
REMOTE PUBLIC COMMENTS — comments are limited to items on the Special Meeting Agenda.
Members of the public wishing to participate were encouraged to submit public comments in
writing in advance of the meeting via eComment by 4: 00 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
No public comments.
ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS
1. Report regarding a study session on the Summer Work Experience, Empowerment, and
Training Program (Leah Lockhart, Human Resources Director)
Human Resources Director Lockhart presented the report and indicated that in 2019, the City
received a five-year Neighborhood Action Plan with guidelines for enhancing outcomes for children
and youth from the Community Collaboration for Children's Success (CCCS), a multi -agency
partnership facilitated by San Mateo County Health. Based on factors such as the regional
concentration of youth in high-intensity County programs such as Juvenile Probation and
Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, CSSS classified South San Francisco as one of four San
Mateo County communities with high youth needs. Lack of opportunities to develop the knowledge
and skills required to earn a living wage and a lack of communication with caring adults - primarily
due to parents or caregivers working multiple jobs - were among the top issues reported for South
San Francisco youth.
The Summer Work Experience, Empowerment, and Training (SWEET) Program was developed to
meet the needs described in the Neighborhood Action Plan. To help close the gap, a summer
employment program will encourage youth to work and earn a salary while also obtaining work
readiness and professional development training during the summer. Participants will also be
mentored and build relationships with experts in the field. In late 2019, city staff collaborated with
the Silicon Valley Talent Partnership and enlisted the help of a group of volunteers to create a pilot
summer jobs program that would begin in the summer of 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
this initiative was placed on hold before final preparations could be made.
For students and recent graduates in South San Francisco, the SWEET pilot program will combine
job opportunities with mentorship and ongoing personal and professional growth training. The
program will begin on June 14, 2021, and will consist of a one-week orientation, weekly
development training, and a six-week paid internship in a City department. Program staff will
provide one-on-one assistance to participants, and internship managers will undergo training to help
them support youth interns. Students would complete the internships on July 30, 2021.
Up to fifteen (15) South San Francisco students or 2021 graduates aged 15-18 will be accepted into
the program. Participants must live in South San Francisco or attend school there. Staff will
collaborate with school principals, counselors, and other school district contacts to exchange
information with students and identify possible participants beginning in April. Up to fifteen
internship placements covering all or most City departments are being planned, and they can be
modified or adjusted depending on student interests. On-site internships are available, as well as
hybrid internships that combine on-site and remote work. Internship supervisors may also undergo
guidance on dealing with young interns who have little or no work experience.
The city has recruited Jennifer Salerno, the Workforce Development Director for the Urban Services
YMCA in San Francisco, to design and introduce a program in South San Francisco focused on the
Urban Services Empowerment 2 Employment program's core concepts. Beginning in the current
fiscal year, Council appropriated $100,000 from the General Fund in February 2021 to create and
implement this initiative. Staff suggested financing this initiative from expected federal funds rather
than the General Fund because it would be eligible for funding from the newly passed American
Recovery Plan Act of 2021. The estimated program budget for 2021 is $85,000, including staffing
and participant salaries, and $200,000 for the 2022 program, which will serve a broader population
of youth.
Councilmember Flores inquired about the 6 -week timeline and GPA requirement for participation.
Human Resources Director Lockhart provided an overview of the proposed training program
timeline and the common practice and indicated that students would be required to obtain a work
permit. Those needing to attend summer school may not qualify.
Mayor Addiego also expressed concern with the 6 -week timeline and inquired about salary. Human
Resources Director Lockhart indicated that students would be paid minimum wage.
Councilmember Coleman encouraged an 8-10 week internship program for students to develop and
take ownership of their projects.
Councilmember Nicolas inquired about the number of departments that would participate in the
program and student assessments. Human Resources Director Lockhart provided an overview of the
proposed program, including student assessments.
Vice Mayor Nagales expressed his concern for students that are ineligible to participate and hopes
that those students would be considered in the future.
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING MARCH 30, 2021
MINUTES PAGE 2
Jennifer Salerno, Workforce Development Director for the Urban Services YMCA in San Francisco,
provided an overview of the program and budget constraints. Human Resources Director Lockhart
indicated that the internship salaries were drafted considering part-time staff paid at minimum wage.
Mayor Addiego proposed an $18.00 -hour wage. Councilmember Flores suggested that the City
Council also serve as mentors to a student intern.
A consensus of the Council to increase the hourly wage to $18.00 and maintain the 6 -week program
for the pilot program with future considerations of longer terms.
2. Report regarding information on the South San Francisco Community Navigator Program
(Leslie Arroyo, Communications Director, Valerie Sommer, Library Director; Leah
Lockhart, Human Resources Director and Sharron Watts, Management Fellow)
Communications Director Arroyo presented the report and indicated now more than ever there was
a need to assist and equip the community with resources. A two-year Community Navigator Pilot
Program that would address barriers that inhibit access to critical services and civic engagement.
The goal of the Community Navigator Pilot Program is to assist those who have language barriers
and for the purpose of this pilot, those in the LatinX community, specifically in the Old Town
neighborhood. The objective aims to address the immediate concerns of the South San Francisco
community and to connect the immigrant, at -risk, and underserved communities, and those hit
hardest by COVID-19. The pilot program would also encourage open dialogue between community
members and designated bilingual staff, provide community engagement opportunities and bridge
the communication gap.
The Community Navigators Pilot Program would be led by two full-time Management Fellows out
of the City Manager's Office with a background in social and community work supervised by
Communications Director Arroyo. These fellows would work closely with the South San Francisco
Homeless Outreach Team, Commission on Racial and Social Equity collaboration and Upward
Mobility program which aims to help unemployed and under employed residents gain job skills and
financial literacy enabling families to emerge from poverty.
Management Fellows work with three bilingual/bicultural Community Promotores. Promotores
assist with providing access to a wide range of social services, educational, and workforce
development. Promotores would essentially be part-time, and they would disseminate information
and coordinate access to health, social services and educational workforce development. Funding
for the program would come from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2 02 1.
In conclusion, the Community Navigator Pilot Program would strengthen and expand current City
outreach efforts in order to promote the community's access to current resources. The program
would engage the community and the development of resources in response to current and future
community identified needs through a racial and social equity lens. The program would ultimately
help residents overcome the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially on the
underserved population.
Councilmember Nicolas inquired about the weekly hours worked by the Promotores.
Communications Director Arroyo stated they worked 10 hours a week.
Mayor Addiego inquired on the type of benefits. Human Resources Director Lockhart advised that
fellowships is an hourly employment but because it is more than 30 hours a week, they were
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING MARCH 30, 2021
MINUTES PAGE 3
eligible for health benefits, so they subsidize that up to 75%.
Mayor Addiego asked what a Promotore does 10 hours a week and how they interface with the
Fellows and how they interact with the community. Communications Director Arroyo stated the
Promotores were getting to know the folks in the community and finding out exactly what their
needs were beyond health and social services. Library Director Sommer acknowledged that the job
descriptions overlap and would need to redo them. She described the Management Fellows would
build those relationships with the social service agencies, so when people are out on the street, they
know who to refer them to. Sharron Watts, Management Fellows shared her experience with
Promotores and advised that trust does not happen overnight. She emphasized on the importance to
have a mirror of someone who looks like you and speaks like you, who is familiar with your living
experience in the community.
Mayor Addiego expressed concern on the likelihood that the City would develop a long-term
relationship with employees like that, so that the City could benefit by them staying for multiple
years and continuing to interface with the community. He asked how much the Promotores would
get paid. Library Director Sommer advised they would get paid $27.10/hr. Mayor Addiego stated he
did not want a feel -good program and wanted a program that delivered and was prepared to support
the program but would also keep a close eye on it. He was hopeful that the pilot program would be
successful, to the point where the County would do what they should be doing and step up and run
this program because it is not the job of municipal government to deal with these types of social
service activities.
Councilmember Flores thanked everyone for their presentation and shared his experience in
nonprofit health. He did not think he would have ever been successful running the programs on a
national level without a Promotores type of program and network. What it really came down to was
the cultural trust, but also cultural ability to be able to gain that respect from the community. He
requested a little bit more structure on Management Fellows because he felt two Management
Fellows might be a stretch as he thought one Management Fellow can very well be able to oversee
up to 15 Promotores. He recommended the City to scale and take a second look on what really the
Management Fellow would do. Councilmember Flores advised this program would not be
successful or would not stick if they call it a navigator or fellow program in any which way. They
must come up with an intentional name that speaks to that community.
Councilmember Coleman inquired whether the City was looking for Promotores that would build
trust and build those relationships in the community or looking for people who already have that
trust developed and already has those relationships in the community. He believed there were
people in the community already acting like Promotores out of the goodness of their heart and felt
this was a wonderful way to repay those people for their services and create a more direct
connection between the City and the community.
Mayor Addiego asked whether staff had a date set to start the program. Library Director Sommer
stated that she was thinking starting July 1, 2021 due to the budget cycle. City Manager Futrell was
hopeful this project will get off the ground prior to July 1.
3. Study session on American Rescue Plan funding. (Mike Futrell, City Manager)
City Manager Futrell presented the report and stated that on March 11, 2021 President Biden signed
the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 providing $1.9 trillion of Covid recovery funding for the
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING MARCH 30, 2021
MINUTES PAGE 4
nation, which included large amounts such as $414 billion for vaccinations, testing and other
medical needs directly related to the coronavirus, $20 billion for Public Transit, $176 billion for
schools and $360 billion for States and local communities. South San Francisco, based on
population, are scheduled to receive $12.3 million. The first half of that will arrive in early May and
the second half, the additional $6.15 million will arrive 12 months later. He presented Council with
the following breakdown of funding.
TTF,M TOTAT. COgT 1)()1)1
1
Economic Mobility Initiative
$2,000,000
$1,000,000
$1,000,000
2
Guaranteed Income
$2,000,000
$1,000,000
$1,000,000
3
Food Voucher Program
$200,000
$200,000
4
Restaurant Grants
$260,000
$260,000
5
SWEET Jobs for Youth Program
$285,000
$85,000
$200,000
6
City Broadband Expansion
$2,000,000
$1,000,000
$1,000,000
7
Community Navigator
$460,000
$230,000
$230,000
8
Community Promotores
$100,000
$50,000
$50,000
9
Sit Sea Level Rise
$30,000,000
$1,000,000
10
Francisco Terrace Flood Prevention
$500,000
$500,000
11
City Operations COVID Recovery
$3,495,000
$2,325,000
$1,170,000
TOTALS
$6,150,000
6,150,000
Given the nature of this as relief money as recovery money staff tonight wants to give a notional
view of where those funds might go and get Council's direction so that four or five weeks from
now, when the funds arrive, staff would be ready to deploy resources to help the community.
A consensus of the Council to keep the $2,000,000 for Guaranteed Income but appreciate it in
matching numbers, staff will come up with a tiered system where foster kids get the first priority
followed by single moms followed by previously incarcerated then maybe low-income families will
come up with a system of buckets where one bucket is filled and it fills up the rest. There was
discussion for 18 months for 400 families at $500/mo which translates to roughly $5,500,000.
Councilmember Flores inquired about the Food Voucher Program and whether staff reached out to
Genentech as they have a similar model of this program for almost 30 years and asked for their
feedback. ECD Director Greenwood confirmed that he had reached out to both the Chamber of
Commerce and Genentech and learned a lot from their experiences. Staff came to the determination
that the method of delivery that was the broadest and easiest participation with the residents that
they were hoping to reach and serve would be an old fashioned, low tech by design printed voucher.
Councilmember Nicolas inquired whether the vouchers could be used at any vendor in the City and
not just vendors that were Chamber of Commerce members. ECD Director Greenwood confirmed
that the vouchers were not limited to vendors that were Chamber of Commerce members but
emphasized it was important to identify the businesses that would participate voluntarily ahead of
time and to work with them and educate them to prevent confusion and having residents being
turned away.
Mayor Addiego expressed concern on residents counterfeiting the vouchers and inquired on the cost
to produce said vouchers and what the City would do when merchants turn in counterfeit vouchers.
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING MARCH 30, 2021
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ECD Director Greenwood stated about 35-40% of that are for back of house costs and estimated the
printing cost to be 40 cents per coupon. Mayor Addiego expressed concern that the City would
spend $200,000 on the program to help residents and only $120,000 was going towards food for
people to eat and $80,000 is going to go into back of house. ECD Director Greenwood understood
the Mayor's concern but advised that the program would reach about 2,500 families in need,
through this program and it would be done in a way where staff can document and make sure that
there is no misuse of the funds.
Mayor Addiego suggested using gift cards and even though the City could not control exactly where
the money went, if they gave it to the right people that need help, he believed that they would act
accordingly and spend it on what is best for their family.
City Manager Futrell suggested Council keep the $200,000 for the Food Voucher Program for now
and staff would bring a different delivery model for consideration.
Councilmember Nicolas inquired whether Mayfair Village was included for the City Broadband
Expansion project. IT Director Barrera stated staff could add any parks as Council sees fit.
City Manager Futrell reminded Council that the City has $58,000,000 plus in reserves and
recommends using some of that being available for the shortfall in the coming year.
The following individuals submitted public comments:
• Cecilia Chu, Friends For Youth
• Mina Richardson, community member
4. Study session regarding update on new Downtown Parking Garage (Heather Ruiz,
Management Analyst and Alex Greenwood, Director)
Item not heard and moved to a future date.
ADJOURNMENT
Being no further business, Mayor Addiego adjourned the meeting at 8:37 p.m.
Respectfully suJbipitted by:
— ::� (I— —
Gabriel Rodriguez
Deputy City Clerk
Approved: -5 /12 / 202
Approved:
Q+J�.
Mark Ac diego
Mayor
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