Subject:
Title
Grant award from the Pinellas Community Foundation’s Tampa Bay Resiliency Fund for Pinellas County’s COVID-19 responses.
label
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval and execution by the County Administrator of the grant agreement from the Pinellas Community Foundation’s (PCF) Tampa Bay Resiliency Fund for Pinellas County’s COVID-19 response.
• Grant award from PCF provides one-time funding to support food/incidentals, van cleaning supplies, and modifications to vehicles for transporting individuals for eligible homeless individuals placed in FEMA’s approved non-congregate sheltering program.
• Funding in the amount of $43,500.00 is for a one-year period starting April 9, 2020 through April 8, 2021.
• The County is working with the Florida Department of Health, Directions for Living, and other community partners to implement and support the sheltering program.
Body
Strategic Plan:
Ensure Public Health, Safety, and Welfare
2.2 Be a facilitator, convener and purchaser of services for those in need
Deliver First Class Services to the Public and our Customers
5.1 Maximize partner relationship and public outreach
5.2 Be responsible stewards of the public’s resources
Summary:
On March 30, 2020, Pinellas County Human Services submitted a proposal to the Pinellas County Community Foundation to support the non-congregate sheltering program. Funding will support homeless individuals and families requiring quarantine while pending test results or while positive for COVID-19.
To meet critical needs of the residents and to help ensure compliance and access to care, Pinellas County requested flexible funding resources for a 14-day food supply, activities, hygiene items, clothes, and other incidentals will be important to maintaining quarantine.
Additionally, transportation is critical to the community with no public COVID-19 protected transports available for general client movement (ie: to go to testing, go to medical appointments, etc). The funding will also support retrofitting of partner vehicles to further protect staff and individuals.
Background/Explanation:
On March 13, 2020, the Board of County Commissioners adopted Resolution 20-16 declaring a Local State of Emergency in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Through subsequent Board actions, the Local State of Emergency was extended through May 1, 2020.
Pinellas County Human Services Department has developed a non-congregate sheltering plan, approved by FEMA on March 30, 2020, that establishes an isolation/quarantine process for eligible homeless individuals or families that are pending COVID-19 test results or have tested positive for COVID-19. The Department has established partnerships with area hotels, the Florida Department of Health, local hospitals, and other community partners to implement the non-congregate sheltering plan.
The Tampa Bay Resiliency Fund (TBRF) is a new strategic collaboration of the Pinellas Community Foundation, Allegany Franciscan Ministries, Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg and United Way Suncoast with nearly $1 million of funding assistance available to nonprofit 501(c) organizations and governmental agencies. This unique partnership has been launched to help the critical organizations that provide assistance to the most vulnerable of our local residents being affected by the COVID-19 public health crisis. Funding allocations will be prioritized generally among the following three categories: protection of human life, mitigation of additional harm, and strengthening nonprofits related to critical intervention services to the community.
Fiscal Impact:
Total grant award is $43,500.00 in private foundation funds and no match is required. This award will be included in the FY20 estimates as part of FY21 budget development. This award was included in a budget resolution related to COVID-19 funding approved on May 5th, 2020.
Delegated Authority:
Authority for the County Administrator to sign this grant agreement is granted under Code Section 2-62 (a)(1).
Staff Member Responsible:
Daisy Rodriguez, Director, Human Services
Partners:
Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County
Pinellas Community Foundation
Attachments:
Pinellas Community Foundation Grant Agreement
Pinellas County Non-congregate Shelter Approval