Title
ARPA Phoenix Resilient Food System Programs Second Tranche - Amendments for Continuing Programs (Ordinance S-48884)
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute amendments to Agreements: 154941 with Local First Arizona Foundation; 155024 with Local Initiatives Support Corporation; 155310 with TigerMountain Foundation; 155311 with Central Arizona Land Trust; 155313 with NxT Horizon, LLC; 155314 with Lehr Innovations, LLC; and 155362 with Thrive Consultancy, Inc., to provide additional funding and extend the contract period to continue the programs established in year one of the Phoenix Resilient Food System category. Further request to authorize the City Controller to disburse all funds related to this item. Funding is available through the City’s allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and is in the Phoenix Resilient Food System category of the ARPA Strategic Plan approved by the Mayor and Council. There is no impact to the General Fund. The additional aggregate expenditures included in these amendments will not exceed $3,960,650.
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 food support agencies; 4) support for increased local food production; and 5) business and employment opportunities throughout the food system spectrum.
Continuing Programs
The following continuing programs will provide economic and business opportunities and training, 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
Feed Phoenix Program - Local First Arizona Foundation
Local First Arizona Foundation (LFAF) will continue to provide administrative and financial support through issuance of city-wide grants to local farmers, restaurants, catering, including event venues with catering services, community-supported agriculture, food hubs, and mobile markets, demonstrating capacity for food distribution services to vulnerable populations impacted by COVID-19.
Worker Cooperative Sustainable Food System Business Incubator and Training Program - Thrive Consultancy Inc.
Thrive Consultancy Inc. (Thrive) will continue to provide training on sustainable cooperative food entrepreneurship, including operational, legal, financial, and marketing practices for a cooperative food business. The scope of services includes workshops, and three 10-week training courses, including one in Spanish. Thrive will serve as a subrecipient and will continue to administer, manage, and develop the program
Equity and Inclusion
Funds to Feed Phoenix Program - LISC Phoenix
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) will continue to provide administrative and financial support through issuance of grants to organizations city-wide, including grassroots, community, nonprofits, health, social service providers and public schools demonstrating capacity and need for food distribution services to vulnerable populations impacted by COVID-19.
Local Food Consumption/Production
Phoenix Backyard Garden Program - Lehr, Nxt, TigerMountain
Lehr Innovations LLC (Lehr), NxT Horizon LLC (NxT), and TigerMountain Foundation (TMF) will continue to install backyard gardens using aquaponics, growing produce and protein (fish and shrimp), and raised beds. These systems will be installed for up to an additional 180 residents living in the following planning areas: Alhambra, Central City, Estrella, Laveen, Maryvale and South Mountain.
- Lehr will provide installation of up to 56 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.
- NxT will provide installation of up to 56 Aquaponics Victory Gardens, including all materials, supplies, equipment and labor, 10 hours of education per system plus on call training, maintenance, and repair services for 12 months.
- TMF will provide up to 66 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
Central Arizona Land Trust (CALT) will continue to administer and manage the program to conserve urban farmland within the boundaries of the City through conservation easements. CALT will conduct outreach for the program, manage contractors providing services to support placement of a conservation easement on qualified properties, and award grant funding to eligible entities for placement of conservation easements on qualified properties.
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, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Contract Term
The contract term will be extended as follows:
- LFAF from Aug. 30, 2022 to Jan. 31, 2023;
- LISC from Dec. 31, 2022 to Jan. 31, 2024;
- TMF from April 30, 2023 to May 31, 2024;
- CALT from Oct. 31, 2022 to June 30, 2023;
- NxT from April 30, 2023 to May 31, 2024;
- Lehr from April 30, 2023 to May 31, 2024; and
- Thrive from Oct. 31, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2023.
All agreements may be extended based on available funding, which extensions may be executed by the City Manager, or his designee.
Financial Impact
There is no impact to the General Fund. Funding is available through the City’s allocation of ARPA funding and is in the Phoenix Resilient Food System category of the ARPA Strategic Plan approved by Mayor and Council.
The funding breakdown is as follows:
- LFAF - The initial authorization for Agreement 154941 was for $2.7 million. A previous amendment increased the authorization for the agreement by $65,000. This amendment will increase the authorization by an additional $300,000, for a new total not-to-exceed agreement value of $3,065,000.
- LISC - The initial authorization for Agreement 155024 was for $1.95 million. A previous amendment increased the authorization for the agreement by $115,000. This amendment will increase the authorization by an additional $500,000, for a new total not-to-exceed agreement value of $2,565,000.
- TMF - The initial authorization for Agreement 155310 was for $138,000. A previous amendment increased the authorization for the agreement by $30,300. This amendment will increase the authorization by an additional $330,000, for a new total not-to-exceed agreement value of $498,300.
- CALT - The initial authorization for Agreement 155311 was for $1 million. This amendment will increase the authorization for the agreement by an additional $2 million, for a new total not-to-exceed agreement value of $3 million.
- NxT - The initial authorization for Agreement 155313 was for $145,000. Previous amendments increased the authorization for the agreement by $58,505. This amendment will increase the authorization by an additional $352,000, for a new total not-to-exceed agreement value of $555,505.
- Lehr - The initial authorization for Agreement 155314 was for $118,000. A previous amendment increased the authorization for the agreement by $4,500. This amendment will increase the authorization for the agreement by an additional $228,650, for a new total not-to-exceed agreement value of $351,150.
- Thrive - The initial authorization for Agreement 155362 was for $200,000. This amendment will increase the authorization by an additional $250,000, for a new total not-to-exceed agreement value of $450,000.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
The City Council approved:
- The ARPA Strategic Plan on June 8, 2021;
- Agreements 154941 and 155024 (Ordinance S-47812) on July 1, 2021;
- Agreements 155310, 155311, 15313, 155314 and 155362 (Ordinance S-47932) on Sept. 8, 2021;
- Agreement 155313 - Amendment (Ordinance S-48211) on Dec. 15, 2021;
- Agreement 155310 - Amendment (Ordinance S-48388) on March 2, 2022;
- Agreements 154941 and 155024 - Amendments (Ordinance S-48543) on April 20, 2022; and
- ARPA Phoenix Resilient Food System allocation for the second tranche on June 7, 2022.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Karen Peters and the Office of Environmental Programs.