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[United Way Committee Meeting on November 22, 2022.]
WE'RE GOING TO CALL THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN NONPROFIT STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING TO ORDER.OKAY. I'M GOING TO TURN THE MEETING OVER TO JENNY HARVEY WITH UNITED WAY SO SHE CAN DO AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS OF HOW THE FUNDS WERE ALLOCATED FOR THE NON PROFIT PROGRAM.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
OUR PROCESS THAT WE STOOD UP FOR, FOR THE RANKINGS AND CONSIDERATION WERE A CULMINATION OF A RISK ASSESSMENT SCORING BY 30 VOLUNTEERS WHO WENT THROUGH A VETTING PROCESS, WHO SIGNED ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENTS SO THAT THEIR SCORES AND THEIR AND THEIR VETTING WOULD NOT CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER ISSUES THAT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE WITHIN ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE UNDER CONSIDERATION.
FOR THE MOST PART, ANYBODY WHO HAD RATED ONE ENTITY FOR ITS ITS RISK, THEY RATED THEM AGAIN FOR THE APPLICATION SO THAT THEY COULD SEE SOME AN ORGANIZATION'S ASK ALL THE WAY THROUGH AND AND WEIGH IN ON SCORING SCORES AND COMMENTS WERE CULMINATED ALONGSIDE SEPARATE AND NOT COMMINGLED UNITED WAY STAFF AND ARPA STAFF RANKINGS AND REVIEWS.
AND THEN THEY WERE FINALLY AFTER A MEETING THAT WAS CONDUCTED LAST THURSDAY WITH COMMENTS WITH OUR VOLUNTEERS, WE WE CAME TO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WHICH WERE SUBMITTED THIS MORNING AND COPIES WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE ENTITIES.
AND ON THE PROGRAM SIDE, THERE WERE 20 COMPLETED APPLICATIONS WITH CONSIDERATIONS, AND THE FUNDING AVAILABLE WAS $4.6 MILLION FOR THE PROGRAM SIDE.
AND THEN ON THE CAPITAL SIDE, THERE WERE 11 CONSIDERATIONS FOR A TOTAL AVAILABILITY OF $2 MILLION.
ON THE PROGRAM SIDE, THERE WAS $4.8 MILLION ASKED, 4.6 RECOMMENDED TO BE REALIZED.
AND ON THE CAPITAL SIDE, THERE WAS $8.5 MILLION WORTH OF ASKS AND $2 MILLION TO BE RECOGNIZED AND RECOMMENDED TO THE ARPA STEERING COMMITTEE. THANK YOU, JENNY.
OKAY, NOW WE'LL MOVE INTO PUBLIC COMMENT.
SORRY IF YOU CAN READ THE RULES, PLEASE.
COMMON SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE STEERING COMMITTEE AS A WHOLE AND NOT TO ANY INDIVIDUAL MEMBER, AND MAY NOT INCLUDE A DEMAND FOR AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE FROM THE STEERING COMMITTEE.
AND WITH THAT, WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK TO THE STEERING COMMITTEE? JUST COME ON UP AS THERE.
THE MICROPHONE IS AVAILABLE AT THE PODIUM.
I AM A BUSINESS OWNER AND RESIDENT 2402 SHORE DRIVE, SAINT AUGUSTINE.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF THE TAG CHILDREN'S MUSEUM, WHICH I AM ALSO BOARD PRESIDENT, I WANT TO THANK THIS COMMITTEE FOR CONSIDERING TAG FOR THE FEDERALLY FUNDED AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN GRANT. TAG CHILDREN'S MUSEUM HAS BEEN OPERATING SINCE JANUARY OF 2016 FROM A 1400 SQUARE FOOT SPACE.
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WE'VE SERVED 8000 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FROM THAT SPACE UNTIL MARCH OF 2020, WHEN THE PANDEMIC IMPACTED OUR PROGRAMING AND OPERATIONS.WE HAVE 500 UNIQUE DONORS AND A LARGE VOLUNTEER BASE.
OUR SERVICES ARE FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND WE REACH THE UNDERSERVED.
WE DELIVERED MORE THAN 600 STEAM PROGRAM ACTIVITY BAGS AND OTHER SUPPLIES TO UNDERSERVED YOUTH AND OFFERED VIRTUAL STEM VIDEO WORKSHOPS ONLINE HOSTED BY AREA YOUTH AND SHARED BY HOMESCHOOL GROUPS, TEACHERS AND VIA SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS.
WITH OVER 100,000 VIEWS, RURAL COMMUNITIES AND STUDENTS IN FLORIDA ARE STRUGGLING.
PARENTING PROGRAMS AND PROGRAMS. ADDRESSING LEARNING LOSS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.
ALL PROGRAMS TAG DOES AND WILL OFFER.
CHILDREN'S MUSEUMS ARE A REFUGE IN TIMES OF TRAGEDY AND DISASTER.
EXAMPLES OF THESE VITAL SERVICES CAME IN CONNECTICUT AFTER THE SANDY HOOK SHOOTING LOUISIANA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM IN NEW ORLEANS AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA AND BOSTON CHILDREN'S MUSEUM FOLLOWING THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBINGS.
IF NOT THROUGH FUNDS FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT DESIGNED TO STIMULATE THE BEING OF OUR COMMUNITY, THEN I ENCOURAGE AND I TASK YOU WITH FINDING OTHER WAYS TO FINANCIALLY SUPPORT AND ADVOCATE FOR THE CRUCIAL GROWTH OF TAG CHILDREN'S MUSEUM.
WHAT ELSE? IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? GOOD MORNING. I AM MELINDA EVERSON, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE.
I'M SURE THAT WAS VERY TIME CONSUMING AND THERE WAS A LOT OF HARD DECISIONS TO BE MADE.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT OUR BOARD RECENTLY MET AND WE ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS IN THIS COMMUNITY AND THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS ON OUR COMMUNITY. WE ARE COMMITTED TO TAKING A LARGER ROLE AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF HOMES THAT WE ARE BUILDING, AND WE WILL BE SHARING MORE OF THIS AS WE GO FORWARD.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK IN THIS.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE? OC PUBLIC COMMENT CLOSES.
OKAY. THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE STEERING COMMITTEE DISCUSSION.
IF ANY OF MY FELLOW COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR ANYTHING THEY WANT TO DISCUSS.
MAY SEEM A LITTLE SELF SERVING SINCE THE UNITED WAY WAS THE ENTITY THAT WAS TASKED WITH MANAGING THIS PROCESS UP TILL NOW AND GOING FORWARD. HOWEVER, AS THE CHAIR, I HAD THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS THE HARD WORK.
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WE ARE CONSIDERING TODAY, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, IS THAT WE ARE REVIEWING THESE RESULTS ONLY SLIGHTLY BEFORE Y'ALL ARE.AND IT WAS OTHER PEOPLE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, PEOPLE WHO VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME AND THEIR TALENTS TO GO THROUGH THIS VERY LABORIOUS PROCESS AND MAKE THE DECISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY ARE SENDING TO US TODAY.
SO ON BEHALF OF THE UNITED WAY, I WANT TO DO TWO THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, THANK THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR THE CONFIDENCE THAT THEY HAD IN OUR ORGANIZATION IN TASKING US WITH WITH THIS WITH THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT WORKED SO HARD TO GET US WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITH RELATIVELY LITTLE CONTROVERSY, SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY OBVIOUSLY VERY PLEASING TO US AND TO GINNY ESPECIALLY AND AND OUR STAFF.
YOUR STAFF. I WANT TO THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATE YOU FOR A JOB WELL DONE.
YES. THANK YOU, JENNY AND YOUR TEAM.
WE, THE COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, WE WE GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS TAKING THIS ON.
AND I DO KNOW THAT IT IS A LOT OF WORK, SOME OF THE SOME OF THE FEDERAL PROGRAMS RUN THROUGH HHS.
AND I DO KNOW THAT IT IS A LOT OF WORK TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME HARD CHOICES.
SO. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.
I THINK THAT IF IT'S OKAY WITH SHERRY, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THE TWO SEPARATELY.
SO WE'LL START WITH THE OPERATIONS THEN.
CAN I GET A MOTION ON THE OPERATIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS? YES. SO MOVE TO APPROVE THE OPERATIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
MOVING ON TO THE CAPITAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
I'VE BEEN HIRED BY THE ST JOHN'S COUNTY AS A CONSULTANT TO OVERSEE THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN PROGRAM.
AT THIS POINT, THE STEERING COMMITTEE HAS ACCEPTED THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE UNITED WAY.
THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO HAPPEN NOW.
ONE, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T SEE THIS UNTIL LATE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS DO COMPLY WITH THE ARPA GUIDELINES BEFORE THE FINAL AWARD IS DONE FOR THE OPERATIONAL SIDE WITH UNITED WAY.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT FITS INTO ONE OF THE CATEGORIES.
THE SECOND LIST OF CAPITAL PROJECTS AND THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, THOSE WILL NOT BE AWARDED BY UNITED WAY, THOSE WILL BE AWARDED BY THE COUNTY.
AND WE'LL HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE COUNTY FOR A AN AGREEMENT AND APPROVAL THROUGH THE COUNTY BOARD.
AND THE REASON IS, IS THAT THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES ARE EVEN MORE INTENSE FOR CAPITAL INITIATIVES AND THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THOSE AND THE MONITORING OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THEMSELVES.
SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE NEXT STEPS WOULD BE, THAT THIS IS NOT A FINAL APPROVAL AND YOU DEFINITELY HAVE THE MONIES COMING TO YOU.
THERE'S A FEW REVIEW PROCESSES THAT HAVE TO TAKE PLACE, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE WEEK.
AND I BELIEVE THE UNITED WAY HAD GIVEN DECEMBER 1ST AS THE DATE TO DECEMBER 2ND, THIRD, SECOND.
I COULDN'T SEE HOW MANY FINGERS DECEMBER 2ND AS THE DATE AS TO FINAL AWARD.
SORRY. WITHOUT THERE BEING ANYTHING FURTHER, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING AND ADJOURN IT.
THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.