Committee on Clliiugdnd Gevornmpnt Qypnirjht
February 1, 2023 City Council Meeting
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the Chicago Recovery Plan (CRP) provides funding for investments from 2022 through 2026, and projects funded by the CRP are multi-year investments; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago ("the City") funded the CRP through $1.887 billion from the Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (commonly known as funds from the American Rescue Plan Act; LFRF and ARPA, respectively) and a $660 million General Obligation Bond; and,
WHEREAS, as of December 2022, approximately $1,291 billion was obligated or paid; another $220 million had a status of a Request for Proposal or Application was released; and another $1,036 billion was either reserved for future years or in progress; and,
WHEREAS, Q3 project and expenditure reports to the U.S. Department ofthe Treasury demonstrated that $782.2 million from the LFRF was obligated to essential city services as revenue replacement, and approximately $97.4 million from the LFRF was obligated to other community economic development programming listed in the CRP, meaning that approximately $411 million from the General Obligation Bond was obligated; and,
WHEREAS, these estimated figures demonstrate that approximately 63% of General Obligation Bond programming from the CRP was obligated, while only 47% of LFRF programming from the CRP was obligated; and,
WHEREAS, Q3 reporting to the U.S. Treasury demonstrates that approximately 24 CRP programs in the LFRF have a status of "Not Started," including Legal Services for Gender-Based Violence Survivors; Chicago Student Aid Program; High Utilizer Diversion Housing Program; Youth Justice Diversion; Neighborhood Broadband Connectivity; Gender-Based Violence Victim Services to Young People; Gender-Based Violence Prevention Education Training; Rapid Rehousing Services for Gender-Based Violence Survivors; and Emergency Fund for Gender-Based Violence Survivors; and,
WHEREAS, Q3 reporting to the U.S. Treasury demonstrates that approximately 20 CRP programs in the LFRF have obligated less than 25% of their appropriated funds, including Mental Health Equity Initiative; Youth Intervention Programs; Place-Based Violence Interventions; Community Safety Coordination Center; Family Connects Program; Community Violence Intervention; 911 Alternative Response program (CARE); Victim Support Funding Program; Re-Entry Workforce Development; and Youth Intervention Program - Service Coordination; and,
WHEREAS, good government planning processes can ensure LFRF dollars are fully spent and appropriated programs are fully implemented prior to the deadlines set by the U.S. Treasury; and,
WHEREAS, where LFRF programs from the CRP are not started or have less than 25% of their appropriated funds obligated, it is necessary to determine the extent to which these figures are due to implementation delays or good government planning processes that are phasing implementation and obligation; and,
WHEREAS, the Mayor's Office of Violence Reduction Violence Reduction Dashboard demonstrates that in 2022, Chicago saw laudable decline in fatal shooting victimizations and all shooting victimizations, but saw increases in criminal sexual assault victimizations and robbery victimizations; and,
WHEREAS, the expedient implementation of gender-based violence programming, community-based violence prevention and youth interventions, and 911 Alternative Response programming can immediately help to address the root causes of these violent crimes; and,
WHEREAS, at least $190 million of CRP programs in the LFRF were appropriated to address these aforementioned policy areas, and only $5 million has been obligated to these programs as of Q3 reporting to the U.S. Treasury; and,
WHEREAS, the City Council can provide oversight of good government planning processes to ensure the expedient implementation of these programs; and,
WHEREAS, by discussing the specific grant planning and implementation of these programs, the City can ensure uniform planning practices to implement the CRP across departments and grant categories. Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO, that we the City Council convened on February 1, 2023, do hereby call for hearings on the oversight of grant planning and implementation ofthe Chicago Recovery Plan, to ensure uniform delivery of Chicago Recovery Plan programming through the Local Fiscal Recovery Fund; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, following this hearing, each department implementing CRP programming funded via the Local Fiscal Recovery Fund shall publish a document, PowerPoint, or some other presentation demonstrating their grant planning, on the City of Chicago Chicago Recovery Plan website, to demonstrate protocol for implementing CRP funds that have been reserved for future years or are in progress.