CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY FOURTH COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-20-52 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Isaac Benton, by request
RESOLUTION
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Approving And Authorizing A Grant Application For, And Acceptance Of, Grant Funds From The Cities For Financial Empowerment Fund, Inc. And Providing An Appropriation To The City Of Albuquerque Legal Department For A COVID Financial Navigators Program For Fiscal Years 2020 And 2021 (Benton, by request)
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APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING A GRANT APPLICATION FOR, AND ACCEPTANCE OF, GRANT FUNDS FROM THE CITIES FOR FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT FUND, INC. AND PROVIDING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE LEGAL DEPARTMENT FOR A COVID FINANCIAL NAVIGATORS PROGRAM FOR FISCAL YEARS 2020 AND 2021.
WHEREAS, on March 11, 2020, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued Executive Order 2020-004, declaring a State of Public Health Emergency to slow the spread of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, the Albuquerque City Council previously approved the engagement of the City of Albuquerque Legal Department’s (“Legal Department”) Office of Equity and Inclusion with the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, Inc. (“CFE Fund”) under the CityStart Initiative via R-18-114; and
WHEREAS, the Albuquerque City Council previously approved the creation of the City’s Consumer Financial Protection Initiative in the Legal Department with additional grant funds provided by the CFE Fund via R-19-170; and
WHEREAS, in response to the national financial crisis brought on by COVID-19, the CFE Fund created the COVID Financial Navigators grant program to help cities assist their residents through this financially trying time; and
WHEREAS, the CFE Fund invited the Legal Department to apply for a COVID Financial Navigators grant because of its demonstrated ability to assist City residents; and
WHEREAS, the Legal Department applied to the CFE Fund COVID Financial Navigators grant program with a proposal to partner with two experienced, Albuquerque based nonprofits, Prosperity Works and Encuentro; and
WHEREAS, the CFE Fund has selected the Legal Department as a recipient of $80,000.00 in grant funding, the largest grant amount available, to partner with Prosperity Works and Encuentro to provide financial navigation assistance; and
WHEREAS, the CFE Fund COVID Financial Navigator grant funds require no City match or indirect overhead; and
WHEREAS, the Legal Department desires to accept these CFE Fund COVID Financial Navigator grant funds; and
WHEREAS, the nonprofit financial navigators will connect struggling individuals and families to unemployment benefits, available CARES Act programs, City, State, and national support programs, and many other services such as food pantries; and
WHEREAS, as part of the COVID Financial Navigators program, the CFE Fund will provide the City with a range of technical assistance services and technological support as part of an on-going learning community; and
WHEREAS, the City of Albuquerque is dedicated to helping its residents through the COVID-19 pandemic and its financial repercussions.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY
OF ALBUQUERQUE:
Section 1. That the attached application for the CFE COVID Financial Navigators grant in the amount of $80,000.00 is hereby approved, with the knowledge that Prosperity Works and Encuentro will each receive $30,000.00 of these funds via contracts with the City, and that the application’s acceptance and filing with the appropriate official or office is an in all respects approved.
Section 2. That funds in the amount of $13,333.33 are hereby appropriated to the Legal Department in the Operating Grants Fund (265) for Fiscal Year 2020.
Section 3. That funds in the amount of $66,666.67 are hereby appropriated to the Legal Department in the Operating Grants Fund (265) for Fiscal Year 2021.
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