Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute all necessary documents to receive and expend grant funding from the California Board of State and Community Corrections for the Gang Reduction, Intervention, and Prevention Program for an amount up to $1,500,000 over a three-year period beginning January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2017; Authorize a required in-kind match of $330,000 per year; and Increase appropriations in the Community Development Grants Fund (SR 150) in the Department of Development Services (DV) by $500,000. (Citywide)
I'm 28. Is a report from the Development Services Department with the recommendation to authorize city manager to execute an agreement with California Board of State and Community Corrections for the Gang Reduction and Intervention Program in amount up to $1.5 million and to authorize an in-kind match of $330,000 per year. I got a motion by Councilman Richardson, a second second by Ringa. Is there any public comment on the item seen then? Please cast your votes. Oh, there is. Please come forward. Thank you. Thank you. Members of the council, my name is Rene Castro and I'm the chair for the Long Beach Group program. And along with me, I have this young lady who's been my mentor over the years since I've been in Long Beach. When? Introduce yourself. Lena is my councilperson. Ginetta McAlpin. Lena is my. Councilperson. And Susie Price is my councilperson, proud resident of the third district. I spend most of my time in the sixth, though. So I just wanted to really congratulate staff on this city, staff that worked on this. Angela Reynolds and Teresa Gomez are the kind of staff who don't often ask for recognition. So Jeanette and I as as the chairs for the group program, we wanted to come out tonight and congratulate them. This time of fiscal constraint. They have a $1.5 million grant going to gang reduction, and specifically youth at risk. Girls at risk tend to young women at risk. 10 to 24 years of age is just an enormous value for our community and know that Jeanette and I are going to do our best to make sure that these funds are implemented and to maximize the benefit for our community. And I just also want to thank you all for your leadership and commitment to addressing this very, very touching issue in our community. And there's a lot we can do in Long Beach, and our rallying cry and our in our group meetings is zero homicides. That's really our vision and including shootings. So thank you again for your leadership. And congratulations again to city staff. Thank you. Councilwoman Pryce. Thank you. I, too, want to thank staff for pursuing opportunities like this. I am involved in my district attorney's office grip program. I've been involved for many years now, and every Friday, when GRIP is in session, I go to an elementary school with at risk youth in Costa mesa, and I work with the fourth, fifth and sixth graders, and I take on a mentor as often as I can. I'm proud to say a couple of years ago, my mentor went from being an at risk, or sometimes we call it an opportunity youth to becoming student body president of his sixth grade, which I was very proud of. But I think it's a very worthwhile effort because if you can make a difference, even in the life of one child, you're making a huge difference in society. I do love the aspect of this grant that focuses on girls. The focus on on girls. Because so often when we're doing gang education and we're talking to them about the jumping in process and the clothing and all of that, so much of it is focused on the male students and the female students get a lot of the same pressures and they have a lot of the same risks associated with getting involved in drugs and violence. And so I think it's it's great to have a grant that focuses specifically on that population. And I commend our staff for always looking at ways to enhance the opportunities that we can provide for our residents in terms of outreach through the use of grant funding. So thank you. Thank you, Councilman Gonzales. Thank you both, Jeanette and Rene. I know the work that you do is is just so tremendous for our communities and for our city, especially in the First District. I know that firsthand. I did actually do a small stint at Orange County probation, mentoring and tutoring youth. So the at risk element and I'm certainly aware of on that aspect, but also just in the district. I know tomorrow will be doing a really robust program with many of our city officials and our city staff for Washington Middle School, which a lot of those those children are are susceptible to gangs. And so this work that we're putting in now, I know, will lead to great results in the future. So thank you very much. I. Councilmember Andrews. Yes. Thank you. Motion carries eight votes. Yes. The next item is the report from Development Services and Financial Management, with the recommendation to authorize city manager to execute agreements with five companies for plan, review and inspection services in an amount not to exceed $450,000 per year with renewal options.