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HomeMy WebLinkAbout107-25 RESOLUTION113 West Mountain Street Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 Resolution: 107-25 File Number: 2025-523 NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES SOUTHERN CITIES ECONOMIC INITIATIVE (GRANT ACCEPTANCE): A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE THE ACCEPTANCE OF A SOUTHERN CITIES ECONOMIC INITIATIVE PLANNING GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $15,000.00 TO SUPPORT A PROJECT TO DEVELOP COMMUNITY -DRIVEN AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOLUTIONS, AND TO APPROVE A BUDGET ADJUSTMENT WHEREAS, Economic Development staff developed the "Fayetteville Futures: Co -Designing Solutions for a Future - Ready Fayetteville" program proposal with the goal of integrating participatory democracy strategies into its economic mobility efforts; and WHEREAS, on April 11, 2025, staff received a letter from the National League of Cities awarding the City with a $15,000.00 planning grant for the program; and WHEREAS, by accepting the grant and participating in the Southern Cities Economic Initiative Planning program, staff will receive technical assistance and resources, develop an implementation plan to advance community -led solutions to affordable housing challenges in the community, and will be eligible to apply for an additional $30,000.00 to $60,000.00 in implementation grant funding. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS: Section l: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby authorizes Mayor Rawn to accept a Southern Cities Economic Initiative planning grant in the amount of $15,000.00 to support a six-month project to develop the City's proposed economic strategy for community -driven affordable housing solutions. Section 2: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby approves a budget adjustment, a copy of which is attached to this Resolution. Page 1 Resolution: 107-25 File Number: 2025-523 PASSED and APPROVED on May 6, 2025 Approved: Molly Rawn, Mayor Attest: %/f/ �°'.�``��°``•':gym: .ryGiOv �Oc Kara Paxton, City Clerk Treasurer Page 2 CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE W4W ARKANSAS MEETING OF MAY 6, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEMO 2025-523 TO: Mayor Rawn and City Council THRU: Devin Howland, Director of Economic Vitality FROM: Marlee Stark, Economic Equity & Mobility Project Manager SUBJECT: NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES SOUTHERN CITIES ECONOMIC INITIATIVE (GRANT ACCEPTANCE): RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommend accepting a Southern Cities Economic Initiative (SCEI) planning grant in the amount of $15,000.00 from the National League of Cities (NLC) program to support a six-month project to develop the City's proposed economic strategy to develop community -driven affordable housing solutions and approval of a budget adjustment. BACKGROUND: In February 2025, Mayor Rawn provided the requisite letter of support for Economic Development staff's application to the SCEI planning grant opportunity. No local match was required for this grant. On April 11, 2025, staff received a letter from NLC awarding the City of Fayetteville with a $15,000 planning grant. By accepting the grant and participating in the SCEI program, staff will: Receive technical assistance and resources (e.g., economic inclusion inventory tool) Develop an implementation plan to advance community -led solutions to affordable housing challenges in the community Be eligible to apply for an additional $30,000 to $60,000 in implementation grant funding DISCUSSION: Mirroring the rich public engagement process used to create the City's Economic Vitality Master Plan, Economic Development staff developed the "Fayetteville Futures: Co -Designing Solutions for a Future -Ready Fayetteville" program proposal with the goal of integrating participatory democracy strategies into its economic mobility efforts. Accepting the planning grant would allow staff to pressure test and polish a concept for a data - driven Community Innovation Challenge program with small cash prizes awarded to local resident teams who generate policy, program, or product solutions for pressing municipal challenges. The SCEI project will focus on housing given it is a high -priority focus area for the community. The planning grant project was drafted in partnership with Circles NWA, a Fayetteville -based nonprofit focused on poverty reduction which has previously deployed the Innovative Poverty Solutions iterative model to create a new auto lending program to support low-income residents. Building on this model, City staff would partner with Circles NWA to convene residents, identify key housing challenge problem statements, and encourage Mailing address: 113 W. Mountain Street www.fayetteville-ar.gov Fayetteville, AR 72701 collective-solutioning through a pitch competition open to residents. Participating in the SCEI program would also include tailored technical assistance, peer learning opportunities, access to data and experts from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and connections to national funders and longer -term funding for economic mobility initiatives. These resources would prove synergistic with other economic mobility -oriented action items in the Economic Vitality Master Plan. BUDGET/STAFF IMPACT: Grant acceptance will add $15,000 to the Economic Development Department's project budget to execute the first phase of the proposed program. Staff anticipate bringing a sub -recipient agreement with Circles NWA for City Council review before June 2025 to support program management. ATTACHMENTS: SRF (#3) , BA (#4), NLC Award Letter (#5), Memorandum Of Understanding (#6), Grant Narrative (#7), Planning Grant Budget (#8) Mailing address: 113 W. Mountain Street www.fayetteville-ar.gov Fayetteville, AR 72701 City of Fayetteville, Arkansas 113 West Mountain Street Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479)575-8323 Legislation Text File #: 2025-523 NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES SOUTHERN CITIES ECONOMIC INITIATIVE (GRANT ACCEPTANCE): A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE THE ACCEPTANCE OF A SOUTHERN CITIES ECONOMIC INITIATIVE PLANNING GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $15,000.00 TO SUPPORT A PROJECT TO DEVELOP COMMUNITY -DRIVEN AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOLUTIONS, AND TO APPROVE A BUDGET ADJUSTMENT WHEREAS, Economic Development staff developed the "Fayetteville Futures: Co -Designing Solutions for a Future -Ready Fayetteville" program proposal with the goal of integrating participatory democracy strategies into its economic mobility efforts; and WHEREAS, on April 11, 2025, staff received a letter from the National League of Cities awarding the City with a $15,000.00 planning grant for the program; and WHEREAS, by accepting the grant and participating in the Southern Cities Economic Initiative Planning program, staff will receive technical assistance and resources, develop an implementation plan to advance community -led solutions to affordable housing challenges in the community, and will be eligible to apply for an additional $30,000.00 to $60,000.00 in implementation grant funding. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS: Section 1: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby authorizes Mayor Rawn to accept a Southern Cities Economic Initiative planning grant in the amount of $15,000.00 to support a six-month project to develop the City's proposed economic strategy for community -driven affordable housing solutions. Section 2: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby approves a budget adjustment, a copy of which is attached to this Resolution. Page 1 Marlee Stark Submitted By City of Fayetteville Staff Review Form 2025-523 Item ID 5/6/2025 City Council Meeting Date - Agenda Item Only N/A for Non -Agenda Item 4/15/2025 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (050) Submitted Date Division / Department Action Recommendation: STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING MAYOR RAWN TO ACCEPT A $15,000 THE SOUTHERN CITIES ECONOMIC INCLUSION INITIATIVE (SCEI) PLANNING GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES INCLUDING APPROVAL OF A BUDGET AMENDMENT. Budget Impact: 1010.090.6600-5342.00 General Account Number Fund NLC Southern Cities Economic Inclusion Initiative 32502.2501 (SCEI) Grant Project Number Project Title Budgeted Item? No Total Amended Budget $ - Expenses (Actual+Encum) $ - Available Budget Does item have a direct cost? No Item Cost $ - Is a Budget Adjustment attached? Yes Budget Adjustment $ 15,000.00 Remaining Budget $ 15,000.00 V20221130 Purchase Order Number: Previous Ordinance or Resolution # Change Order Number: Approval Date: Original Contract Number: Comments: City of Fayetteville, Arkansas - Budget Adjustment (Agenda) Budget Year Division Adjustment Number /Org2 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (050) 2025 Requestor: Devin Howland BUDGET ADJUSTMENT DESCRIPTION / JUSTIFICATION: STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING MAYOR RAWN TO ACCEPT A $15,000 THE SOUTHERN CITIES ECONOMIC INCLUSION INITIATIVE (SCEI) PLANNING GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES INCLUDING APPROVAL OF A BUDGET AMENDMENT. COUNCIL DATE: 5/6/2025 ITEM ID#: 2025-523 Kevin Springer 417512025 9:43 H/Vl Budget Division Date TYPE: D - (City Council) JOURNAL#: GLDATE: RESOLUTION/ORDINANCE CHKD/POSTED: TOTAL 15,000 15,000 v.2025411 Increase / (Decrease) Project.Sub# Account Number Expense Revenue Project Sub.Detl AT Account Name 1010.090.6600-4305.00 - 15,000 32502 2501 RE Grants - Commercial 1010.090.6600-5342.00 15,000 - 32502 2501 EX Promotionals - Activities t of t April 10, 2025 The Honorable Molly Rawn City of Fayetteville, AR Dear Mayor Rawn, We are delighted to inform you that the City of Fayetteville has been selected by the National League of Cities (NLC) to participate in the Southern Cities Economic Initiative (SCEI)I Your city is one of twenty cities selected for the initial six-month planning phase of SCEI. The other cities selected to participate in this project are Morrisville, NC, Harrisonburg, VA, Lauderhill, FL, Jacksonville, FL, Canton, GA, Jonesboro, GA, Jackson, MS, Thomasville, NC, Little Rock, AR, Greenville, MS, New Orleans, LA, Pensacola, FL, Nashville, TN, Natchitoches, LA, Monroe, LA, Charlottesville, VA, Atlanta, GA, Sunflower Co Collab, MS, and Center Point, AL. We are excited to partner with you in designing and executing local economic strategies that boost economic mobility and resilience for residents and businesses. The project includes two phases: A planning phase will run from April 24, 2025, through October 31, 2025. At the end of the planning phase your city will be invited to apply to participate in a two-year implementation phase with additional grant funding beginning in January 2026. NLC is implementing this project in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and the Nathan Cummings Foundation. This letter and its attachments describe important next steps and a set of key documents that require your attention. Please review these details carefully. Memorandum of Understanding: A memorandum of understanding (MOU) (attached) must be signed and returned to NLC by May 5, 2025. If you require additional time to complete and return the signed document to NLC, please reach out to Rosanna Mulcahy at mulcahv(cD-nlc.org. Grant disbursement: To facilitate the distribution of your $15,000 planning grant, we require your signed MOU along with the completed ACH form and W-9 attached to this email. Please o (202) 626-3000 0 660 North Capitol St. NW Suite 450 1 Washington, DC 20001 0 www.nlc.org ensure these documents are returned to us as soon as possible to avoid delays in processing your grant. Orientation call for city teams: Over the next few months, NLC will host several learning opportunities for participating cities to come together as peers to reflect on goals and strategies. The first orientation call is scheduled for April 24, 2025, at 1:OOPM Eastern Time. NLC will follow up soon with your city's team lead to provide more details, including a zoom link for the meeting and a project timeline. We look forward to meeting you and other members of your team on this call. Media strategy: We encourage you to announce your city's selection in the SCEI project publicly. NLC has created a comprehensive Communications Toolkit (attached) which includes a sample press release and ready -to -use social media posts to help you effectively share your participation and align your message with NLC's communications strategy. We ask you to please hold off on any media announcements until NLC's public release date of April 24, 2025. Coordinating our announcements on this date will amplify our impact and maximize media attention. Thank you for your attention to these next steps. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions about the project or any of the materials in your welcome packet by contacting Rosanna Mulcahy, Program Manager of Economic Opportunity and Financial Empowerment at mulcahy(a)_nlc.org. Congratulations on your selection for SCEI! We look forward to working with you! Sincerely, Heidi Goldberg Director, Economic Opportunity and Financial Empowerment SOUTHERN CITIES ECONOMIC INITIATIVE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES INSTITUTE w CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the National League of Cities Institute (NLCI) and the Municipality of Fayetteville, AR (hereinafter, "the City") sets forth the terms of participation and understanding as part of the Southern Cities Economic Initiative (SCEI) between April 24, 2025, and October 31, 2025. SCEI is a program designed to help municipalities plan and implement economic mobility and inclusion strategies. NLCI and partners will help participating cities achieve these goals by providing research and data support, peer learning opportunities, tailored technical assistance, and grant funding. The program's goal is to expand and sustain the participation and economic mobility of underserved businesses and residents, ultimately leading to thriving communities and a more equitable economy. SCEI is a collaboration between NLCI and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and the Nathan Cummings Foundation. GRANT AWARD AND USE OF FUNDS NLCI will provide the City a grant in the amount of $15,000 to support costs associated with expanding and sustaining the economic mobility of residents and small businesses as outlined in the City's application as accepted by NLCI. Funds shall be used solely for the purpose and goals stated herein and in accordance with the budget submitted by the City and approved by NLCI for activities for the term of this MOU. Allowable uses of funds include but are not limited to expenses associated with core personnel costs; consultants, stakeholder engagement with community organizations, residents, and other partners; supports or incentives for resident engagement such as payments, gift cards or food; sub granting to target population; technology integration; and other uses as approved by NLCI. DISTRIBUTION OF AWARD NLCI shall distribute the total planning grant award to the City upon the receipt of a completed W-9 form, completed ACH form, and a signed copy of this MOU. CITY RESPONSIBILITIES By accepting this grant, the City agrees to: • Identify three core team members to participate in all project activities outlined in this MOU and designate a municipal staff member as team lead who will serve as a primary contact for NLCI; • Participate fully in the project orientation call on April 24, 2025, four Boot Camp sessions, monthly all -city calls, and one virtual convening; • In collaboration with NLCI staff, identify a time for and attend a monthly technical assistance (TA) call and to support the development of the City's economic inclusion strategy; • Complete a provided economic inclusion inventory tool to guide strategy development; • With guidance from SCEI staff, complete an Economic Inclusion Business Plan outlining at least one new or expanded program or policy change that increases opportunities for residents and businesses. This plan will also serve as the City's application to the SCEI Implementation Phase; • Utilize Airtable (a data collection software tool) to post and review updates, track follow-up tasks from TA meetings, and support coordination and learning across peer cities as suggested by NLCI; • Set aside time to meet with SCEI project evaluators and provide timely, constructive feedback to support continuous improvement; • When discussing the City's participation in or impacts of the program in public settings or communications and media materials, note the National League of Cities' involvement; • Keep NLCI staff apprised of progress, and notify NLCI within 3 business days of any major setbacks, unexpected challenges, staff transitions on the funded project team, or proposed budget changes exceeding 50 percent throughout the grant period; and • Submit a financial report to NLCI by November 30, 2025, which shows how the awarded funds were used or are obligated toward project objectives. EFFECTIVE DATE AND TERMINATION RIGHTS This MOU will take effect upon the last party's signature and shall remain in effect until October 31, 2025. Either party may terminate this MOU upon delivery of a written notice to the other party. Upon termination, the City must promptly refund any unused grant funds to NLCI within 30 days. AUTHORIZED SIGNATURES By signing this document, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the provisions set forth in this MOU for the National League of Cities Institute's Southern Cities Economic Initiative. city 'J Signature Molly Rawn Name -Authorized Signature Mayor "Title Favetteville City National League of Cities Institute i ature Michael Terseck Chief Financial Officer National League of Cities May, 6 2025 Date 71A i L Uz Is Date Grant Disbursement Form CITY INFORMATION: Lead Contact Name: Marlee Stark Email Address: mstark@fayetteville-ar.gov Phone: (479) 587-7158 FISCAL AGENT INFORMATION: Fiscal Agent Name: Steven Dotson, Chief Financial Officer Fiscal Agent Contact City of Fayetteville, Arkansas Information (Address 113 West Mountain Street and Telephone): Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8330 *Federal Tax ID #: 71-6018462 Make check payable to (include mailing address if different from above): City of Fayetteville, Arkansas Please list any additional information we may need to appropriately disburse your grant funds (e.g., splitting the grant amount into separate disbursements, etc.): Please email these completed pages, your city's W-9 form, and the ACH form to Rosanna Mulcahy at Mulcahy@nlc.or Submitted via online form Contact Information Municipal Team Lead • First Name: Marlee • Last Name: Stark • Title: Economic Vitality Manager • Municipality: Fayetteville, Arkansas • Email: mstark@fayetteville-ar.gov • Organization: City of Fayetteville, Arkansas - Economic Development Department • Organization Address: 113 W. Mountain Street, Fayetteville, AR 72701 Second Team Contact • First Name: Christina • Last Name: Williams • Title: Founder and Executive Director • Municipality: Fayetteville, Arkansas • Email: christina@circlesnwa.org • Organization: Circles NWA • Organization Address: PO Box 663, Fayetteville, AR 72702 Alternate Team Contact • First Name: TJ • Last Name: Williams • Title: Senior Director of Initiatives • Municipality: Fayetteville, Arkansas • Email: tj@circlesnwa.org • Organization: Circles NWA • Organization Address: PO Box 663, Fayetteville, AR 72702 Alternate Team Contact • First Name: Ana • Last Name: Hurley • Title: Big View Director • Municipality: Fayetteville, Arkansas • Email: ana circlesnwa.org • Organization: Circles NWA • Organization Address: PO Box 663, Fayetteville, AR 72702 1 Submitted via online form Proposal Narrative Proposal Title [8/10 words] Fayetteville Futures: Co -Designing Solutions for a Future -Ready Fayetteville Project Purpose [20/25 words] Increase capacity for community engagement to co -develop community -led solutions to improve housing affordability as a driving quality of life factor Project Background [249/250 words]: Describe any existing economic inclusion or mobility initiatives in your municipality, how the mayor or other elected leaders support these efforts, and current opportunities to increase economic inclusion in your municipality or region. We believe that economic inclusion and mobility initiatives are critical to ensuring that Fayetteville is a place anyone can call home and where everyone can enjoy a high standard of living and a sense of community. The City's Economic Development Department has three FTEs, one of which is a dedicated resource for what we refer to as "economic vitality" projects. Early focus groups held during the City's most recent economic development strategic planning process and the Department's role in supporting pandemic -related response efforts drove the City to create the Economic Vitality Manager role. We define economic vitality as a commitment to economic development activities that foster equitable and sustainable growth, bolstering the local economy while enhancing the prosperity and quality of life of our community's residents. Our work is guided bythree core economic development paradigms that are explained further in the City's Economic Vitality Master Plan: developing affordable, accessible, high -quality places; creating an equity -oriented workforce system; and expanding stable care networks. Improving residents' access to opportunities and services needed to thrive as well as strengthening partnerships were two of the foundational tenets of Mayor Rawn's platform when she ran for office in 2024. Cross -divisional coordination is central to working toward a future -ready Fayetteville, requiring us to acknowledge and respond to the severity of our city's housing, transportation, and care gaps. Additionally, Fayetteville City Council has expressed tremendous support for the Economic Development Department's 2025-2030 work plan to date, unanimously passing the Economic Vitality Master Plan in October 2024. 6 Submitted via online form Project Overview and Goals [999/1000 words]: Describe your proposed economic inclusion strategies if you were to be selected into SCEI. Include a response to the following questions in your answer: What is your municipality's or region's capacity to implement the proposed strategy? What are the anticipated challenges to implementation? What are the anticipated outcomes? Does your initiative target any specific groups? If so, who and why? Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas have experienced remarkable population growth over the past two decades, with in -migration and natural population growth consistently outpacing regional projections. But the asymmetric distribution of regional growth's benefits is evidenced by stagnant median incomes, persistent wealth gaps, and lower labor force participation rates for women. Internal disaggregation of core economic metrics and analysis have found that these challenges are more stark in Fayetteville than they are in peer cities in Northwest Arkansas (e.g., Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale). While 14%of Washington County households earned belowthe Federal Poverty Level in 2022, for example, another 32% of households were part of the asset -limited, income - constrained, employed (ALICE) population, underscoring a broader subset of our population vulnerable to nationwide economic uncertainty. While the project team continues to refine our quantitative monitoring of these indicators, our strategic planning work and programming have identified housing affordability as an acute pain point for a wide variety of community members. Like many cities across the U.S., Fayetteville is at a critical juncture in its journey from a small university town to a blossoming southern metro area. As key drivers of the cost of living skyrocket alongside Fayetteville's in -migration, existing residential displacement threatens our vision of Fayetteville as a community that is welcoming and inclusive to everyone. While fostering conditions to raise median household income is one of our highest priority economic development goals for the next five years, City staff acknowledge that systemic affordability issues necessitate targeted government intervention to correct market failures related to housing, transportation, and care networks in Fayetteville. We believe that residents' deep, meaningful participation in policy, program, and service development is the key to ensuring that Fayetteville is a vibrant, livable community for current and future residents through intentional growth management. In partnership with Circles NWA, a local poverty reduction initiative designed to help people achieve upward mobility, the City proposes the Fayetteville Futures project to co -develop community -driven solutions to address affordability and accessibility issues facing Fayetteville's ALICE population. Specifically, we propose using the SCEI opportunity to incubate a sustainable model for public engagement on pressing quality of life issues by piloting a Community Innovation Challenge to address Fayetteville's housing crisis. The project team's tentative timeline for the planning phase includes three open community meetings and a smaller -scale pitch competition to generate preliminary project ideas that could be pursued if selected to advance to the implementation phase. Public meetings include 1) Understand + Reimagine Focus (May), 2) Ideate, Develop, Action (June), and 3) Working Session + Pitch Preparation (July). I Submitted via online form For the planning phase, we propose deploying Circles NWA's Innovative Poverty Solutions model for community -driven solutions to convene residents, including members of the Circles program, to understand the most pressing housing affordability issues, reimagine what it can look like to solve these problems together, and take action through a whole -of -community approach. The Circles team has successfully utilized this model to generate a community -inspired fair auto financing initiative to address predatory auto lending for low-income individuals and to raise awareness about the region's affordable housing crisis. These community -driven initiatives serve as an important complement to other existing housing - related initiatives within municipal government, including the Mayor's Housing Crisis Task Force, the Neighborhood Center Advancement Plan, and the 71 B Corridor Plan. Staff believe that the Fayetteville Futures project will ensure that the voices of individuals most vulnerable to residential displacement will be elevated alongside the perspectives of developers and planners. Ultimately, City staff would like to use this experience to apply the model to other high -priority areas like transportation, childcare, and elder care. The City's Economic Development and Long Range Planning staff have previously discussed piloting a Community Innovation Challenge program in which the City releases open-ended requests for proposals to address high -priority problems, offering monetary prizes to resident teams that develop solutions. The proposed Fayetteville Futures project team would support the problem identification phase required to develop community challenge prompts, providing a test case forthis type of participatory policy -making that could be used to justify the Economic Development Department's request for more sustainable funding via the City's capital improvement planning process or other municipal sources. Our shared vision for this project draws heavily on the framework outlined in the book Beloved Economies, which prescribes several principles guiding an eponymous campaign to co -create economic futures that work for us all. Namely, it focuses on the de -consolidation of the rights to design, or "what we exercise when we imagine, decide, and build together —when we hold the designer's pen and sketch our individual and collective futures." While our community has made significant strides in engaging residents through key strategic planning initiatives and creating issue - specific positions and task forces to address issues, the project team believes we have yet to unlock the full potential of gathering on -the -ground insights from the individuals most burdened by Fayetteville's rising affordability and accessibility barriers. While City staff are eager to work directly with residents to generate forward -thinking solutions to our most pressing problems, this type of community -driven programming lacks a precedent or existing funding mechanism. Given that the City's Economic Vitality Manager is in the process of establishing business -as -usual activities for the Department's economic vitality initiatives, the project team views participating in the SCEI program as an opportunity not only to pressure test a new approach to community development in Fayetteville but also an opportunityto develop a longer 0 Submitted via online form term implementation plan for the Community Innovation Challenge concept. We are particularly attracted to the economic inclusion inventory tool offered by the program as well as the opportunity to learn alongside other southern communities. For the planning stage of the Fayetteville Futures project, the core team has identified the following anticipated outcomes from participating in the SCEI program: • Increased resident participation in municipal policy and program development as well as future funding priorities • Stronger partnerships between government, nonprofits, service providers, and the private sector to addressing ongoing affordability challenges in Fayetteville • Increased awareness among City officials and staff regarding displacement pressures • More sustainable infrastructure investment driven by data -informed policy -making Partnerships [250/250 words]: What partners are engaged in your economic inclusion efforts now and how do you plan to engage local partners strategically to increase the potential success of your strategy? Include any partnerships between municipal departments as well as with external partners. Please describe the roles of each partner. If economic equity, mobility, and inclusion are the throughlines of our vision for growth in Fayetteville, then cross -divisional coordination and intentional community partnerships are the engines that realize this vision. The Economic Development Department maintains strong working relationships with our colleagues in other divisions. We partner with the Community Resources Department to administer our allocation of federal HUD HOME dollars for low-income housing, and the influx of ARPA funding likewise provided multiple opportunities to collaborate on supporting local nonprofits that provide key supportive services as well as subsidizing childcare. We also frequently collaborate with the Long Range Planningteam in the Development Services Department, notably on the development of the City's annual housing assessment and on other projects to increase the City's available housing stock. In 2024, the Mayor's Housing Task Force was created to support the development of high -priority initiatives to support affordable housing development/preservation in Fayetteville. In terms of external partners, the local K-12 public school system, the University of Arkansas, and the Fayetteville Public Library's Center for Innovation have been critical partners in crafting a shared vision of economic development for the region and for piloting new partnerships (e.g., a job skills training program for H3 career pathways, expanding technical assistance for historically underrepresented entrepreneurs). Last but certainly not least, our colleagues at Circles NWA have been invaluable thought partners throughout the economic development strategic planning process, and we look forward to partnering with them to expand and improve our approach to economic mobility projects. 4 Submitted via online form Data [245/250 words]: What data is your team currently tracking related to your proposed economic inclusion strategy? What additional data is necessary to track progress on your proposed project goals? While City staff track core macroeconomic measures, the Economic Vitality Master Plan's goals necessitate establishing new baseline metrics as well as disaggregating existing metrics to provide a more nuanced understanding of how our City's growth impacts different resident sub -populations. While staff are experienced with economic analysis and data visualization, we are coordinating with a professional demographer to refine our approach to establishing new economic baseline metrics. The Economic Vitality Master Plan and its Appendix B are examples of the analyses that inform our Department's work. Economic Development and Long Range Planning staff coordinate on the creation of an annual Fayetteville Housing Assessment, first introduced in 2023. In 2025, staff plan to produce an annual economic mobility report, summarizing key data related to Fayetteville's ALICE population. Circles NWA was one of the early organizations to test the CLIFF tools developed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, ultimately introducing them to the City of Fayetteville's Economic Development Department. We aim to continue their commitment to combining quantitative analysis with storytelling that centers residents as the experts of their own Lives. The Department's 2025-2026 work plan summarizes the City's plan to track progress toward each of the goals outlined in the Economic Vitality Master Plan, several of which overlap with the goals of this project. Staff will consolidate these metrics into a comprehensive dashboard presented to City Council every six months to inform local policy development and prioritization and to provide an update on economic mobility -related initiatives. Team Capacity [247/250 words] Describe the commitment of your "core team" to participate fully in peer learning and technical assistance opportunities provided. If selected, how will one or more staff be given the bandwidth to participate? The core team believes in the transformative power of peer learning and technical assistance opportunities. Our proposed project will implement key action items in the City's Economic Vitality Master Plan and will complement Circles NWA's existing Big View program framework. The City's Economic Development Director has approved the municipal team lead to block off each of the scheduled boot camp sessions and all -cohort calls in her schedule, ensuring that, at a minimum, one core team member will be present for each of these events. The municipal team lead is a vocal proponent of peer -based learning opportunities. Since joining the City in 2023, she has demonstrated her commitment and ability to manage such opportunities by supporting ongoing university -driven economic development initiatives (e.g., Harvard's Reimagining the Economy, SURGE Arkansas, MIT Bills and Billions) and advising undergraduate/graduate student research projects with a nexus to economic development in Fayetteville or Arkansas (e.g., Northwest Arkansas economic growth case study, equitable economic development opportunities for the lithium industry in south Arkansas, rural technical assistance support organization development). She has also worked with statewide partners through the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, which Submitted via online form emphasizes peer learning and networking to develop local policies. Proactively participating in these opportunities was foundational to the development of the Economic Vitality Master Plan as well as a forthcoming paid family and medical leave policy. All of these examples underscore the fact that the City views peer learning opportunities as part and parcel of our economic policy and program development process. Community Engagement [246/250 words] Provide one example of how your team has meaningfully incorporated community feedback into city practices and policies in the past. The City of Fayetteville received almost $18 million in State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021. The Economic Development Department temporarily paused work on the development of its Economic Vitality Master Plan in December 2021 to give its full attention to economic recovery work. City staff, however, leveraged feedback from public surveys and the framework emerging from the Economic Vitality Master Plan Steering Committee and subcommittees to guide priority focus areas for ARPA funding, which was intended to maintain vital public services and promote a strong, resilient, and equitable recovery. The City disbursed funding through nonprofit subrecipient grants, city -sponsored projects, and direct economic assistance to residents. Throughout 2022, the Economic Development Department provided technical assistance to nonprofit applicants applying to the City's four grant programs and collaborated with other divisions to internally develop project and program proposals. For example, Economic Development staff supported the Fayetteville Public Library's funding request to develop the Level Up Skills Development program, which provides job skill training to target resident populations. As a result of the Economic Vitality Master Plan's Childcare Subcommittee's emphasis on public investment in childcare, the City allocated $2 million to the Childcare Assistance Program to subsidize childcare for 145 low- and middle -income families in Fayetteville and to prevent childcare facility closure during a period of great economic uncertainty. While ARPAfunds have been fully expended, City staff's commitment to identifying new solutions to support residents facing systemic barriers remains. Finances [230/250 words]: Describe your process to receive grants from outside entities and the expected time from fund acceptance to fund appropriation. The Economic Development Department's ability to receive grants from outside entities is governed bythe City of Fayetteville's Grant Review Policy. Upon receipt of award notification from the grantor, City staff develop a resolution for City Council's final review and approval to formally accept the funds. The associated staff review form must provide the dollar amount of the grant, a detailed budget of how the money will be utilized, the staff person who will be responsible for administering the grant, an explanation of the City's financial obligation or any future obligations of the City under the grant terms, a summary of the benefit the City would derive from the grant, and a copy of the completed grant application. While the City's policy does not define a minimum or maximum timeline for fund acceptance and fund appropriation, this process typically takes between two to three weeks to move through each step of the municipal legislative process. 7 Submitted via online form While not required for the planning grant, staff would also be required to obtain pre -application approval in order to be able to submit an implementation grant application for consideration given the City's policies with grant review when a local match requirement is present. If selected for the planning grant stage, staff will continue to work with our internal Accounting team to ensure full compliance with these requirements and develop a sub -contractor agreement with Circles NWA. Rationale [247/250 words]: Describe what your team hopes to gain from participation in the SCEI program. From the City's perspective, we believe that participation in the SCEI program would strengthen municipal capacity for inclusive policy -making and empower residents to actively participate in local initiatives. It is common for housing, transportation, and care systems to exhibit market failures that necessarily require government intervention to promote public good, butwe aim to take this one step further with the Fayetteville Futures project by inserting robust community engagement into the process. If Fayetteville's residents are its greatest assets -the true drivers of the small businesses and the community institutions that make the community recognizable -then residential displacement and isolation are two of the greatest foes to the future of equitable economic growth in Fayetteville. Staff also feel that the City's participation in the SCEI program could produce a replicable model for participatory policy -making and community -driven solution identification in Arkansas, realizing the state's motto, Regnatpopulus-the people rule. For Circles NWA, this is an opportunity to apply the model we have designed to support our city in developing community -driven, innovative solutions. We believe the most effective and lasting solutions emerge when the community is invested and inclusive —when people feel a sense of ownership and collaborate alongside those closest to the challenges. Our goal is to create structured spaces where individuals with both lived and learned experience can come together, share their stories, and truly listen to one another. We already create this space weekly through our Circles program and are eager to extend this opportunity to the broader community. NLC's Southern Cities Economic Inclusion (SCEI) Initiative Planning Phase Application City: Fayetteville State: Arkansas DATE: 2/21/25 PLANNING GRANT PROPOSED BUDGET Estimated Amount 1. PERSONNEL $ Salary $ Fringe $ Total Personnel Costs: $ - 2. PROGRAM COSTS $ Office Equipment & Computers $ Data Collection $ Technology $ Marketing & Outreach $ 2,600.00 Materials & Supplies $ 1,250.00 Printing & Postage $ 250.00 Travel (project related) $ Travel (NLC convenings) $ Training $ Subcontract to Partner Organizations $ 6,000.00 Subcontract to Consultant $ - Food $ 900.00 Meeting costs (Venues & AV access- in kind) $ - Community Innovation Challenge Prize Funds $ 4,000.00 Total Program Costs $ 15,000.00 TOTAL ANTICIPATED EXPENSES $15,000 Project Team Notes Local advertising (e.g., KUAF, Fayetteville Flyer); City will also be able to advertise for free through our in-house communications team Easel pads, easels, sharpies, and other materials for meetings and group activities Flyer printing Planning, design, implementation, childcare provision to be managed by Circles NWA Food for three meetings Monetary prizes (tentative denominations): $2,500 (1st place), $1,000 (2nd place), $500 (3rd place)