Title
Enter into Agreements for Phoenix Resilient Food System Programs (Ordinance S-47932)
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to enter into separate agreements with: Thrive Consultancy, Inc., Central Arizona Land Trust, NxT Horizon LLC, Lehr Innovations, LLC, and Tiger Mountain Foundation, to provide food assistance to vulnerable populations impacted by COVID-19; offer economic and business opportunities to establish new food businesses; and to preserve urban farmland in Phoenix. Further request to authorize the City Treasurer to accept, and the City Controller to disburse, all funds related to this item. Funding is available through the City’s allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding received from the federal government and is under the City’s Phoenix Resilient Food System category of the ARPA Strategic Plan approved by the Mayor and Council. The aggregate value of the agreements will not exceed $1,601,000.
Report
Summary
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Environmental Programs (OEP) developed a food assistance plan to address the food needs of vulnerable populations and communities impacted by COVID-19. The plan provides: 1) access to healthy foods for impacted populations; 2) infrastructure assistance regarding transportation and delivery with a focus on home delivery; 3) support for food banks, food pantries, and community agencies; 4) support for increased local food production; and 5) business and employment opportunities throughout the food system spectrum.
The following programs will provide economic and business opportunities for residents and empower residents to grow healthy food in their own backyards to improve health, promote physical activity, and decrease food insecurity and hunger, and preserve urban farmland in Phoenix.
Economic Development and Innovation
Worker Cooperative Sustainable Food System Business Incubator and Training Program
Thrive Consultancy Inc. (Thrive) will provide training on sustainable cooperative food entrepreneurship, including the operational, legal, financial, and marketing practices for a cooperative food business. Thrive is an Arizona benefit corporation located in Phoenix that provides development services for businesses. Thrive will conduct workshops to educate food business owners, investors, and other stakeholders about the current state of the cooperative economy and the importance of a supportive worker cooperative business infrastructure. The 10-week training will be held in two cohorts for up to 50 individuals in a hybrid virtual/in-person format. Four tailored events and workshops will be held to educate on the cooperative business model. Thrive will serve as a subrecipient and will administer, manage, and develop the program.
Local Food Consumption/Production
The Backyard Food Production Pilot Project aka Backyard Garden Program
This program will empower residents to grow healthy food in their own backyards to improve health, promote physical activity, decrease food insecurity and hunger, and potentially decrease their food budget. The OEP will use the expertise of three local organizations experienced in growing food. Lehr Innovations, LLC, NxT Horizon LLC (NxT) and Tiger Mountain Foundation (TMF) will serve as subrecipients and will administer and manage their respective gardening system programs. Lehr Innovations, LLC is a Phoenix-based organization founded by Ed Williams, who invented the Linking Ecosystems and Hardware for Regeneration (LEHR) Gardens system as a sustainable, regenerative growing method for busy urban lifestyles. NxT is a Phoenix-based organization founded by Dr. George Brooks Jr., a nationally recognized aquaponics expert. TMF is a Phoenix-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower communities to better themselves through cultivating gardens.
Lehr Innovations, LLC, NxT, and TMF will install backyard gardens using aquaponics, growing produce and protein (fish and shrimp), and raised beds. The systems chosen are cost-effective and water-efficient growing methods and suitable for the Phoenix climate and growing seasons. These systems will be installed for up to 90 residents living in the South Mountain Village Planning and the Maryvale Village Planning areas. Applicants for the program must meet eligibility criteria, such as, low income; living within the program’s geographic boundary; with preference for applicants living in food deserts and applicants that are Black, Indigenous or People of Color.
Homeowners or renters (with written permission from landlord) will be provided with the gardening system of their choice, which includes system installation, including equipment, materials, supplies and labor, and gardening training throughout the 12-month program. Program outreach materials, application, and training materials will be provided in English and Spanish.
Lehr Innovations, LLC, NxT, and TMF will serve as subrecipients and will administer and manage their respective gardening system programs with details on their responsibilities, schedule, and reporting requirements in the agreement. Below is a brief description of each gardening system:
- LEHR Gardens - Lehr Innovations, LLC will provide installation of up to 30 LEHR Gardens (raised bed system), including all materials, supplies, equipment, and labor and will provide on-call training, maintenance, and repair services for 12 months;
- Aquaponics Victory Gardens - NxT will provide installation of up to 30 aquaponics systems, including all materials, supplies, equipment and labor, 10 hours of education per system plus on-call training, maintenance, and repair services for 12 months.; and
- Tiger Eye Gardens - TMF will provide up to 30 Tiger Eye Gardens (raised bed system), including all materials, supplies, equipment, and labor, on-call training, maintenance, and repair services for 12 months.
Farmland Preservation Program
Central Arizona Land Trust (CALT) will serve as a subrecipient and will administer and manage the program to conserve urban farmland within the boundaries of the City of Phoenix through conservation easements. CALT is a community-based, Arizona nonprofit dedicated to protecting open space, wildlife habitat, and working farms and ranches in perpetuity by working with private landowners to develop conservation easements. CALT will conduct outreach for the program, manage contractors providing services to support placement of conservation easements on qualified properties, and will award grant funding to eligible entities for placement of conservation easements on qualified properties. CALT will coordinate with City staff to develop eligibility criteria. Based on the services required and available budget, a maximum of three conservation easements are anticipated for this program.
The Office of Environmental Programs will assist Thrive, Lehr Innovations, LLC, NxT, TMF, and CALT to oversee the agreements and coordinate any needed services, such as program outreach and recruitment.
Procurement Information
Services may be procured, as needed, in accordance with Administrative Regulation 3.10 to implement and administer programs intended to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the COVID-19 national pandemic.
Contract Term
The term of the agreement will begin on or about Sept. 20, 2021 and continue through Oct. 31, 2022. Agreements may be extended based on continuous need and available funding, which may be exercised by the City Manager, or his designee.
Financial Impact
Funding for these programs will not exceed $1,601,000. There is no impact to the General Fund. Funding is available through the City’s allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding received from the federal government and is under the City’s Phoenix Resilient Food System category of the ARPA Strategic Plan approved by Mayor and Council.
The allocation breakdown is as follows:
Thrive Consultancy Inc. - $200,000;
Lehr Innovations, LLC - $118,000;
NxT Horizon LLC - $145,000;
Tiger Mountain Foundation - $138,000; and
Central Arizona Land Trust - $1 million.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
The City Council approved the ARPA Strategic Plan on June 8, 2021.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Karen Peters and the Office of Environmental Programs.