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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
PROPOSED RESOLUTION FOR ARPA SAFE AND THRIVING COMMUNITIES PROGRAM INITIATIVES IMPLEMENTED BY THE JUSTICE ADVISORY COUNCIL
WHEREAS, on March 11, 2021, the federal government authorized the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”) which includes $1.9 trillion in federal stimulus funds to hasten the United States’ recovery from the economic and health effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, specifically, the federal government has authorized and allocated a federal award of approximately $1,000,372,385B of ARPA funding to Cook County to assist the County in its recovery from the economic and health effects of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, on June 24, 2021, the Cook County American Rescue Plan Act Framework (the “ARPA Framework”) was presented to the Cook County Board of Commissioners; and
WHEREAS, the Cook County Board of Commissioners via Resolution 21-3654 accepted the ARPA federal award allocated to Cook County to assist the County in its recovery from the economic and health effects of COVID-19 in the amount of approximately $1,000,372,385.00; and
WHEREAS, Resolution 21-3654 further authorized the Cook County Budget Director and Comptroller to create and implement a Special Purpose Fund for the ARPA award and other accounting measures to track the acceptance and spending of the federal award; and
WHEREAS, the Cook County Board of Commissioners authorized the Chief Financial Officer, Budget Director, Chief Procurement Officer and applicable using agencies to issue grants, contracts and agreements for ARPA programs approved via Resolutions 22-3657 and 22-0637; and
WHEREAS, to further the Policy Roadmap Goal, the Justice Advisory Council has developed a menu of Safe and Thriving Community programs and initiatives which have undergone review and approval through the Project Management Office process to utilize ARPA funding for such programs and initiatives pursuant to the issuance of grants, contracts, and agreements; and
WHEREAS Resolutions 22-3657 and 22-0637 provided that any grants issued regarding ARPA programs in an amount over $1M shall require the approval of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Cook County Board of Commissioners hereby approves the issuance of the following agreements by the Justice Advisory Council to utilize ARPA funding for multiyear terms through Fiscal Year 2025, subject to annual appropriation by the Board, for the Justice Advisory Council programs and initiatives as follows:
1. Enter into a Subrecipient Agreement with the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council in an aggregate amount of up to $2.203.150.12 to implement the Gun Violence Prevention and Reduction Grant - ARPA Initiative NT897, a program where Brighton Park Neighborhood Council shall partner with PODER, New Life Centers of Chicagoland, and Centro Sanar of The Port of Ministries to launch the Brighton Park/Gage Park Violence Intervention program. This program shall be a comprehensive youth development, violence prevention and economic development program, targeting youth and families who have been exposed to trauma resulting from community violence, the COVID-19 pandemic, and systemic oppression. The partnership shall serve 250 youth and 210 adults from Chicago’s Gage Park and Brighton Park community areas. Programming will include, but not be limited to, school-based mental health programming, street outreach, youth mentoring, workforce development, adult education programs, and free, long-term, trauma-informed individual therapy for un- and under-insured individuals, including Spanish-speaking adults.
2. Enter into a Subrecipient Agreement with the Friends of the Children - Chicago in an aggregate amount of up to $1,683,969.67 to implement the Gun Violence Prevention and Reduction Grant - ARPA Initiative NT897, a program to enhance their whole-family, two-generation mentoring programming in Chicago’s Austin, Garfield Park, Humboldt Park and North Lawndale community areas, and expand to offer programming in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham, Englewood, Roseland and West Englewood community areas. Friends of The Children - Chicago shall partner will schools and referring agencies to identify kindergartners most impacted by poverty and violence and commit to participants for 12.5 years “no matter what”, per their program model. Friends of The Children - Chicago provides individualized mentorship for children in the areas of pro-social development, building independence, self -awareness and literacy development, in addition to developing trusting relationships with caregivers, empowering them to address their own barriers and partnering with them to promote their child’s healthy development.
3. Enter into a Subrecipient Agreement with the Kids Above All Illinois in an aggregate amount of up to $3,333,196.90 to implement the Gun Violence Prevention and Reduction Grant - ARPA Initiative NT897, a program to expand their trauma-informed clinical services on Chicago’s southside and in suburban Cook County to provide innovative, comprehensive, and integrated approaches to violence prevention and victim services. Kids Above All Illinois shall serve children ages 7-17 and young adults ages 18-24, who have experienced violence or trauma, or have been exposed to violence in the suburban areas of Calumet City, Chicago Heights, Harvey and Park Forest, as well as the Chicago neighborhoods of Englewood, West Englewood and Chatham.
4. Enter into a Subrecipient Agreement with Roseland Ceasefire Inc. in an aggregate amount of up to $4,110,943.30 to implement the Gun Violence Prevention and Reduction Grant - ARPA Initiative NT897, a program toto reduce gun violence among individuals aged 18-29 years old, living under the federal poverty line, in Harvey, Calumet Park, Markham, Village of Riverdale and West Pullman through street outreach and intervention, case management and victim services.
5. Enter into a Subrecipient Agreement with Saint Anthony Hospital in an aggregate amount of up to $3,056,000.88 to implement the Gun Violence Prevention and Reduction Grant - ARPA Initiative NT897, a program to provide hospital-based crisis intervention support to individuals who have experienced and/or witnessed violence by providing supportive inpatient and outpatient victim services, case management, crisis intervention, and care coordination services. Saint Anthony Hospital will serve both adults and youth, with a focus on the following underserved populations disproportionately impacted by violence in Chicago’s Austin, North Lawndale, South Lawndale, West Garfield Park and East Garfield Park neighborhoods: children and adolescents, LGBTQ+ individuals, males, people of color, second language learners, and undocumented community members.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Cook County Board of Commissioners recognizes that time is of the essence and authorizes Executive Director Avik Das and the Justice Advisory Council to negotiate and enter into the various agreements that outlines the specific metric and impact data, and compliance with all ARPA reporting and monitoring requirements with the Subrecipients listed above to implement the above programs.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Cook County Board of Commissioners hereby authorizes the Executive Director Avik Das and the Justice Advisory Council or its designee to modify the agreements and funding allocations to all Justice Advisory Council selected Subrecipients based upon need and utilization.
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