Title
Enter into Agreements for Phoenix Resilient Food System Programs (Ordinance S-47812)
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to enter into separate agreements with: Local First Arizona Foundation; LISC Phoenix; Arizona Food Bank Network; Aramark Sports and Entertainment L.L.C. dba Aventura Catering; and Waste Not, to provide food assistance to vulnerable populations impacted by COVID-19. Further request to authorize the City Treasurer to accept, and the City Controller to disburse, all funds related to this item. The aggregate agreements value will not exceed $6,290,000. 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 strategic plan.
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.
Continuing Programs
Three programs that were previously funded, the Feed Phoenix Initiative managed by Local First Arizona Foundation (LFAF), the Funds to Feed Initiative managed by Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and the Arizona Food Bank Network (AFBN) program, will be continued. These programs increased access to healthy foods with prepared meals and food boxes for impacted populations using local businesses (restaurants, caterers, event venues, food hubs, mobile markets), local Phoenix-based farms, nonprofit and grassroots organizations, school districts, and food banks and pantries. Funds will continue to be distributed to those entities selected and deemed eligible in the previous open grant process for each program. Additional entities will be selected using similar grant processes previously used as funding allocation allows.
LISC, LFAF, and AFBN will continue to serve as Subrecipients and will administer and manage their respective programs and perform services including receiving applications, selecting applicants, disbursing funds, and collecting compliance monitoring data to provide monthly reports to OEP. The agreements executed with each organization will detail the Subrecipient’s responsibilities, grantee requirements, schedule, and reporting requirements. Details are shown below, by agency:
- Local First Arizona Foundation - provide administrative and financial support through issuance of grants for restaurants, catering, including event venues with catering services, farmers, community-supported agriculture, food hubs, and mobile markets, city-wide, demonstrating capacity for food distribution services to vulnerable populations impacted by COVID-19.
- LISC - provide administrative and financial support through issuance of grants for organizations city-wide, including grassroots, community, nonprofits, health, social service providers and public schools demonstrating capacity for food distribution services to vulnerable populations impacted by COVID-19.
- Arizona Food Bank Network - provide administrative and financial support through issuance of grants to smaller agencies (food banks/pantries) throughout Phoenix who partner with the St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance to distribute food, including assisting agencies that may not be part of the alliance to join. AFBN is the only organization with an established grant assistance program for entities that are affiliated with St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance.
New Program
The Meals to Work Program will use the services of Aventura Catering and the kitchens at the Phoenix Convention Center to prepare 1,000 healthy, nutritious meals weekly for 26 weeks. Meals will be delivered to social service organizations, such as St. Vincent de Paul and others. In addition to helping COVID-19 impacted families and individuals, 14 employees will be able to return to work at the Phoenix Convention Center. Delivery will be contracted through Waste Not, a nonprofit focused on food recovery, who has the experience, capacity, and infrastructure to deliver the meals safely from the Convention Center to the organizations.
OEP will assist LISC, LFAF, AFBN, and Waste Not to oversee the agreements and coordinate any needed services, such as program outreach and connections to social service organizations.
Outreach and Support Staff
Funding will be used to hire two temporary full-time positions, a project manager and an administrative assistant, to manage and monitor all of the activities associated with the Phoenix Resilient Food System Programs.
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 July 19, 2021 through Aug. 30, 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 $6,090,000. 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 strategic plan.
The funding breakdown is as follows:
- Local First Arizona - $2.7 million
- LISC - $1.95 million
- Arizona Food Bank Network - $800,000
- Aventura Catering - $565,000
- Waste Not - $75,000
- Outreach and Support Staff - $200,000
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Karen Peters and the Office of Environmental Programs.