CITY OF TOPEKA DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD RELATIONS NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT 2019 FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT. Date Announced: February 26, 2018

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1 CITY OF TOPEKA DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD RELATIONS NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT 2019 FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT Date Announced: February 26, 2018 Submission Deadline: July 20, 2018 THIS FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS: PART 1: VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES PART 2: APPLICATION INFORMATION PART 3: APPLICATION TIMETABLE PART 4: TECHNICAL INFORMATION PART 5: THRESHOLD ELIGIBILITY PART 6: REVIEW COMMITTEE CRITERIA 2019 Empowerment RFP - Page 1

2 PART 1: VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES Guiding Principles All activities funded under this announcement will reflect and support the following principles: Citizen Involvement and Inclusiveness All citizens will be encouraged to participate in neighborhood development efforts, and these efforts will fairly reflect the composition, concerns and involvement of the full range of neighborhood residents. Neighborhood groups and organizations will play an important role in initiatives. Business sector involvement will be encouraged and City government will be citizen friendly. Efficiency and Effectiveness Department of Neighborhood Relations efforts will focus on results. Methods of outcome based performance measurement will be used and decision-making rewards, and recognition will be outcome driven. The Department of Neighborhood Relations (DNR) will work with grant applicants, appropriate city departments, and other entities to ensure successful completion of projects. Empowerment Empowerment of neighborhoods and individuals will be encouraged and rewarded Empowerment RFP - Page 2

3 Available Funds and Areas of Emphasis PART 2: APPLICATION INFORMATION The City will make approximately $137,890 of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding available for Neighborhood Empowerment Grants to be used to make public improvements such as: sidewalks and other public projects within the LMI neighborhoods in the 2019 fiscal year. Please be advised funding source amounts have not been determined or allocated. Therefore, any estimated sums discussed are subject to change based on the final funding source provided by HUD. Projects will be prioritized for funding based on application scores from highest to lowest until funding availability is exhausted. Any projects awarded through this RFP will be completed by December 31, 2019 unless otherwise specified by the Neighborhood Relations Department. A. Eligible Applicants Neighborhood Improvement Associations, community groups, and non-profit corporations acting alone or in partnership with neighborhoods, and representing low and moderate income neighborhoods and residents, will be eligible applicants for these funds. Note: Applicants are deemed ineligible if they have been awarded the SORT Grant within the last two years or until all priority SORT projects have been completed in the neighborhood. Religious organizations may apply only for activities that benefit and are available to the entire low/mod (L/M) area residents. Taxing authorities may not apply. B. Eligible Activities Eligible Neighborhood Empowerment Grant activities include the following Public Improvements: Low/Mod Income Area Benefit: Neighborhood; Senior Centers, Handicapped Centers, Youth Centers, Sidewalks, Tree Planting, Health Facilities, Water or Sewer Improvements and Clearance and Demolition. (Low/Mod Income Area, as defined by HUD, is a Census Track/Block Group where at least 51% of the residents are L/M income persons) All Activities must meet one of these two HUD national objectives: Activity benefiting Low/Mod Income Persons (L/M Income Person is a member of a family having an income equal to or less than 80% of medium income) Activity Preventing Slum or Blight (Rehabilitation to the extent necessary to eliminate conditions detrimental to public health and safety) Only projects that will make actual physical improvements will be funded. No funds will be available for maintenance of the project selected, services or assistance for single-family housing units with this grant Empowerment RFP - Page 3

4 Infrastructure improvements (streets, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, etc.): Any application that involves such improvements must be accompanied by a letter from the City Engineer that certifies that the proposed project has been reviewed by the Public Works Department and is consistent with applicable City policies and neighborhood development plans/objectives. No infrastructure improvements for other taxing authorities can be funded. If the option exists to place a sidewalk on either side of the street it shall be placed on the side of street that is most economically feasible. Other considerations would be a person with a disability resides on one side of the street and needs access to a good sidewalk. Also, a sidewalk may be placed on the most direct route to an important point of destination such as school, park, community center or other public facility. It is required that the NIA speak with or send a letter to all property owners on both sides of a street where it is anticipated to receive a sidewalk in order to solicit input before a recommendation is made. Please submit evidence of neighborhood contact and all responses with your proposal. Partnerships with Other Entity Projects: Any application that involves such improvements must be accompanied by a letter from the Director of that entity and any approving boards or councils that certifies that the entity has reviewed the proposed project and is consistent with applicable City policies and neighborhood development plans/objectives. All projects must be located in a low and moderate income neighborhood as determined by the US Department of Housing & Urban Development, meaning at least 51% of the residents are at or below 80% of the Topeka area median income. C. Target populations In general, the intended beneficiaries of activities funded under this Request for Proposals (RFP) are low and moderate-income residents of Topeka. D. Technical assistance Technical assistance will be available for filling out forms and/or finding the benefit project area by attending one of the workshop dates below. All potential grantees are required to attend on either of the two dates below: Wednesday, March 14, 2018 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., 620 SE Madison, 1st Floor Conference Room, Department of Neighborhood Relations. Please RSVP if you are attending Saturday, March 17, 2018 from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m., 620 SE Madison, 1st Floor Conference Room, Department of Neighborhood Relations. Please RSVP if you are attending 1. City staff will work cooperatively with applicants to ensure successful application completion. City staff will work cooperatively with applicants, other city departments, and other entities to design and carry out projects. 2. In awarding Neighborhood Empowerment Grants, the Department of Neighborhood Relations will not engage in or condone on the part of applicants any form of undisclosed conflict of interest. City employees and the employees and board members of contracting agencies and organizations will not use their positions for any purpose that constitutes or presents the appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or gain. E. Timetable 2019 Empowerment RFP - Page 4

5 RFP Issued: Monday, February 26, 2018 Submission Deadline: Friday, July 20, pm, Department of Neighborhood Relations, 620 SE Madison, 1st Floor, Topeka, KS F. Submission format and deadline for submissions All requests for Neighborhood Empowerment Grant funds must involve the complete submission of all required forms. Packets of these forms can be obtained beginning Monday, February 26, 2018 from Neighborhood Relation s Office, 620 SE Madison, 1st Floor, Topeka, KS 66607, (785) RFP Forms may also be obtained via by requesting them at lburnett@topeka.org or on the City of Topeka s website, All Requests for Proposals must be received no later than, 5pm, Friday, July 20, 2018 to the Department of Neighborhood Relations, 620 SE Madison, 1 st Floor, Topeka, KS One (1) original application must be submitted for consideration. Proposals hand delivered or received by mail, courier, or any other means after the July 20, 2018 deadline will not be accepted. The Empowerment Grant Application Review Committee may request a presentation from the applicant. G. Application screening process Neighborhood Relations staff will screen applications to address threshold eligibility standards. These threshold criteria are shown in Part 5 of this Funding Announcement. A Neighborhood Empowerment Grant Review Committee made up of three (3) City staff members and four (4) appointees will review and make funding recommendations for Request for Proposal responses that meet threshold eligibility requirements. Part 6 of this RFP lists the criteria by which proposals will be scored. This Committee will develop funding recommendations based on its assessment of each proposal. The Neighborhood Relations Department will present its funding recommendations to the City Council. The City Council will review the Grant Review Committee recommendations and make final allocation determinations. H. Consultation Questions about this Request for Proposals and about application requirements and deadlines should be directed to LaToya Burnett -Martinez, City of Topeka Department of Neighborhood Relations at (785) PART 3: APPLICATION TIMETABLE Date Activity 2019 Empowerment RFP - Page 5

6 February 26, 2018 March 14, 2018 & March 17, 2018 July 20, 2018 August 2018 August 2018 September 2018 October 2018 November 2018 January 2019 Applications are available at DNR and on City of Topeka Website Application Workshops (see pg. 4) Applications due, 5pm at DNR Applications undergo preliminary Environmental Review Process Review Committee provided copies of proposals and project site visits Review Committee meets to finalize recommendations Recommended applications undergo final Environmental Review Process City Council receives Review Committee recommendations Contracts become effective, subject to appropriations. Funding cycle begins in January PART 4: TECHNICAL INFORMATION Post-Award Mechanics A. Program and project budget periods Program and project budget periods will end on December 31st of each year unless otherwise specified by the Neighborhood Relations Department. Expenditures cannot be made before any award has been executed. Extension of any project period must be requested and approved in writing by the Director of Neighborhood Relations Empowerment RFP - Page 6

7 B. Conflict of interest and disclosure In awarding and managing contracts to operate neighborhood empowerment programs, the Department of Neighborhood Relations will not engage in and will not condone any form of undisclosed conflict of interest. City employees and the employees and board members of recipient agencies and organizations will not use their positions for any purpose that constitutes or presents the appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or gain 2019 Empowerment RFP - Page 7

8 PART 5: THRESHOLD ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA TIMELINESS Yes/No The application was received before the submission deadline. COMPLETENESS Yes/No The Request for Applications response is complete in all material respects. (including, but not limited to identification of problem or need, explanation of project impact or solution, expected project outcome and performance measures, neighborhood support and related experience, budget Information) CONFLICT OR APPEARANCE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST Yes/No The Applicant has identified and addressed any conflict of interest or appearance of conflict of interest in a manner that insures the ethical and prudent use of and accounting for public funds. COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS Yes/No The proposed use of funds is consistent with Community Development Block Grant regulations as listed in the RFP Funding Announcement. PAST PERFORMANCE (IF APPLICABLE) Yes/No The applicant has successfully met program and financial obligations in completing previous City grants and contracts. IS THIS AN ELIGIBLE APPLICANT? Yes/No (Reviewers will determine that all answers to the questions above are positive. Questionable answers will be up to departmental discretion.) 2019 Empowerment RFP - Page 8