Title
Resolution to Renew Consulting Contracts with Washtenaw County for Program Staff Services and Leasing Office Space for the Office of Community Development (Not to Exceed $315,060.00 for FY 09)
Memorandum
Attached for your approval are consulting contracts with Washtenaw County authorizing the expenditure of up to $289,500.00 for FY 09 to pay for the services provided by the Community Development Director, Housing Manager, Operations Manager, Fiscal Analyst, Intake Specialist, and Human Services Analyst and $25,560.00 for FY 09 to pay for leasing office space for the Office of Community Development (OCD). The City’s current consulting contracts and lease with the County for office space runs through June 2008. This amount represents eighty percent of the projected annual salary and benefits for the Human Services Analyst and one-half of the projected annual salary and benefits for the Community Development Director, Housing Manager, Operations Manager, Fiscal Analyst, and Intake Specialist. The office lease costs covers rent for the City’s share of staff space. Because the City provides a significantly greater amount of human services funding, the City’s portion of the Human Services Analyst position is significantly greater than the County’s portion. The percentage splits between the City and County for each position and the lease reflect each agency’s appropriate share of the costs.
Background:
In November, 2003, as part of the Community Services Area reorganization, a design team of City and County managers was formed to study coordination between the Ann Arbor Community Development Unit and the Washtenaw County Department of Planning and Environment. These separate units were responsible for administering CDBG and HOME programs within their respective geographic areas. In addition, both were accountable for granting general fund dollars to non-profit housing and human services providers.
After reviewing the functions of both community development units, the design team concluded in April 2004 that bringing together County and City staff under one roof would be an important first step in increasing the impact of these housing and human services funds in the community. A joint manager was hired to supervise the two units in a single office while retaining separate funding and current employment assignments.
The joint office has been in operation since October 2004 and a number of significant service improvements have occurred since its creation. Additionally, financial savings have been realized by reducing duplicative administrative functions. The primary goal of this reorganization has been to combine cross-functional operations within the office to deliver seamless services to our customers and stakeholders through a regional approach. These efforts included the coordination of staff leadership, administrative, and financial functions; creation of one Rehabilitation Service Delivery system; coordination and oversight of the planning process for the affordable housing program; and coordination of City and County human services activities. Below is a list of many of the successes that the joint City-County OCD has experienced since its creation.
Joint Human Services Application:
The Funders Forum, a consortium of both private and public organizations that represents the major funding sources for non-profits in the community, led an initiative to provide a single, seamless, online non-profit Request For Proposal (RFP) process. The Office of Community Development is one of the larger funders in the consortium, accounting for over $2 million in non-profit funding. This browser-based system, which went live in January, 2005 (http://communitygrants.org), enables non-profits to submit one grant application to all funders, maintain an online profile of their organization, and conduct their grant tracking and reporting functions online, any time. The impact of this initiative in terms of improved customer service, reduced paperwork, and overall efficiency, is immeasurable. The following partners currently use the online grant system:
• Office of Community Development, City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County
• Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation
• The Knight Foundation
• Washtenaw Community Health Organization
• Washtenaw County’s Not-For-Profit and Children’s Well-Being Funding
LISC Technical Assistance:
The City and the County pooled their resources ($50,000.00 each) to establish an Ann Arbor office of the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC). LISC provides assistance to non-profits in a number of different technical areas, a service whose absence was sorely noted. In the relatively short amount of time since arriving, LISC has intensively worked with many of the housing non-profits to increase their financial and real estate development capacity. Through this work, LISC has given $1,225,879.00 in loans to our local non-profits for affordable housing and $65,000.00 in grants to help build capacity. In addition, LISC has actively participated in the housing needs assessment, Ypsilanti Healthy Food Access Initiative, and the Blueprint to End Homelessness. This partnership has been pivotal in assisting the OCD to help increase the capacity and the production of our local housing non-profits.
Non-Profit Capacity Building Monthly Partnership Meeting:
Since the inception of the joint City-County OCD monthly partnership meetings with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and LISC have occurred to discuss local non-profit capacity building. These monthly meetings have led to a greater degree of partnership and collaboration among these organizations and our local housing non-profits.
Housing Needs Assessment:
The OCD has completed the Affordable Housing Needs Assessment. The document provides a detailed look at demographic trends in Washtenaw County; examines current housing conditions; analyzes how these trends, laws, and local ordinances affect affordable housing development; and provides a tool for decision makers to more effectively implement regional planning to develop and maintain appropriate levels of affordable housing. The OCD was able to leverage funds from the City of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation and the Ann Arbor Apartment Association to fund this assessment. This assessment will take a truly regional approach to understanding the needs of affordable housing in our community, which provides the fundamental basis for a cohesive, comprehensive plan for addressing those needs.
In addition, the Needs Assessment created an opportunity for the County and City GIS programs to work together to create a tool so the information that is gathered will be able to be used online through a joint City-County GIS program. Again, this partnership is invaluable as the two organizations move forward with more regional planning efforts.
Relocation of the Former YMCA Residents:
In October, 2006, the former YMCA building, which contained 100 units of Single Resident Occupancy units available to low income individuals, became unlivable. The City owned the building where 90 individuals were living. The residents were temporarily relocated to a Motel 6 until a better housing solution could be found. The City located an apartment complex that had the vacancy to meet the needs of the residents, but needed a partner to manage the tenants and to provide some support services. The OCD was able to build on their relationship with the Washtenaw Community Health Organization (WCHO), an affiliate of Washtenaw County, to create a partnership. This partnership provided support and property management services to the residents for the same price that the YMCA paid for the services to residents when they lived at the former YMCA. The services provided through the WCHO included a full-time, masters-level social worker, support groups held onsite, and 24/7 onsite management.
Cross-Functional Operations:
Organizational efficiencies
• The OCD has established a single business plan that reflects the needs of the City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County.
• The OCD shares one fiscal analyst who works with both the City and the County, and is responsible for oversight of the City and the County budgets.
• The OCD has a partnership agreement between the City and the County for the Office of Community Development that allows staff to work on projects between the City and the County as needed to best meet the needs of the office.
• The OCD has created one comprehensive Rehabilitation Service Delivery Unit that oversees the Single Family and Multi Family Rehabilitation, Relocation and Down Payment Assistance programs for the City and the County. The Intake Specialist is responsible for conducting the intake for the City and County Rehabilitation, Relocation, and Down Payment Assistance programs, client outreach, marketing of the programs, and assistance with the subordination process. The Operations Manager supervises the Housing Rehabilitation team, oversees the planning process for public infrastructure projects and provides support to the Urban County Executive Committee.
• The OCD has created the County Housing Manager and Human Services Analyst positions. The Housing Manager coordinates and oversees the planning process for the affordable housing and human services programs for the City and County. In addition, the Housing Manager provides support to the Housing and Human Services Advisory Board. The Human Services Analyst administers the human services contracts for the City and the County.
Urban County
On April 7 2008, City Council per Resolution R-08-0302 authorized the City to join the Washtenaw Urban County for a three year pilot term beginning in July 2009 through June 2012. By joining the Urban County, the City has taken a crucial step toward realizing the vision set forth in 2004 of fully integrating the City and County community development functions and staffing. Becoming a member of the Urban County will enable the City to join with the County and other local jurisdictions to identify and address regional housing and human service needs of those who are most vulnerable in our community.
These collaborative ventures have created the groundwork for further partnership between the two organizations, which creates unprecedented efficiency and effectiveness in providing services to all citizens.
Discussion
The proposed contracts extend the City and County’s efforts to maximize efficiencies in the joint City/County Office of Community Development through the integration of work duties between the Housing, Rehabilitation, and Human Services programs. The consulting contracts with Washtenaw County are for July, 2008 through June, 2009. The contracts authorize the expenditure of up to $289,500 to pay for one-half of the projected salary and benefits for the Office of Community Development Director, Housing Manager, Operations Manager, Fiscal Analyst, Intake Specialist positions and eighty percent of the projected annual salary and benefits for the Human Services Analyst.
In addition, the City shares space in a County building. The attached lease authorizes the City to expend $25,560.00 to pay for shared space for the Office of Community Development for July 2008 through June 2009.
Since both organizations provide similar programs and have similar goals, both the City and County administration anticipate there will be many areas where the combined knowledge of the City and County will provide a better understanding of community needs, streamline administrative processes, and encourage innovation in community programming and technical assistance to non-profits.
Staff
Prepared by: Damon Thompson, CSA Financial Manager
Reviewed by: Mary Jo Callan, Community Development Director
Jayne Miller, Community Services Administrator
Body
Whereas, The Office of Community Development currently administers CDBG, HOME, and General Fund programs for the City and County;
Whereas, A design team of City and County managers met from November 2003 to April 2004 and determined that the combined knowledge of City and County community development staff would provide a better understanding of community needs, streamline administrative processes, and encourage innovation in community programming and technical assistance to non-profits;
Whereas, The joint City/County Office of Community Development was authorized by the Ann Arbor City Council and Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners in September 2004;
Whereas, The Office of Community Development has been working with many successes since October 2004;
Whereas, The City and County are committed to continuing to gain efficiencies and cost savings in their operations while improving delivery of services;
Whereas, The County is staffing six positions within the Office of Community Development consisting of the Community Development Director, Housing Manager, Operations Manager, Fiscal Analyst, Intake Specialist, and a Human Services Analyst; and
Whereas, The City and County would like to continue operating the consolidated office of City and County staff with a partnership and contractual relationship with the City for the provision of activities that meet the objectives of the City for housing and human services;
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Council approve the renewal of consulting contracts with Washtenaw County, for a total amount not to exceed $289,500 in FY 09 for the purpose of the City paying for eighty percent of the projected salary and benefits for the Human Services Analyst and paying one-half of the projected salary and benefits for the Community Development Director, Housing Manager, Operations Manager, Fiscal Analyst, and Intake Specialist positions, from July 2008 through June 2009;
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Council approve the renewal of a contract with Washtenaw County for a total amount not to exceed $25,560.00 in FY 09 for office space for the Office of Community Development;
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Clerk are hereby authorized and directed to execute these contracts with Washtenaw County consistent with this resolution, subject to approval as to substance by the City Administrator and approval as to form by the City Attorney; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator is authorized to execute on behalf of the City any action necessary to implement this resolution.