HomeMy WebLinkAboutInformation Update 1015211
AGENDA
INFORMATION UPDATE
October 18, 2021
5:00 PM,
I.INFORMATION UPDATE
I.A.Grants Follow Up Memo
I.B.City Council Goal Updates
I.C.Mental Health First Aid
1
1 | P a g e
ASPEN CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
INFORMATION ONLY/FOLLOW UP MEMORANDUM
MEETING DATE: August 23, 2021
FROM: Alissa Farrell, Administrative Services Director
AGENDA TOPIC: City of Aspen Grants – Follow up on Philosophy and Focus Areas
COUNICL MEMBERS PRESENT: Council Members
___
WORK SESSION SUMMARY
Councilmembers were presented with the City of Aspen Grants Program draft overarching philosophy for
the grants program along with the strategic focus areas found in the ‘Discussion’ section of this
memorandum.
DISCUSSION
The Grants Steering Committee requested Council input and approval of the draft,overarching grant
program philosophy along with each of the strategic focus areas. Council members approved the
philosophy and focus areas pending minor revisions to include a change to the geographical location
language under the focus area sections.
Although the sentiment was agreed upon, some councilmembers expressed concern related to the length
of the philosophy statement. Based on the feedback, the Steering Committee shortened the statement
and confirmed the grammatical language.
Final City of Aspen Grant Program Philosophy:
The City of Aspen’s Grant Program supports non-profit organizations that promote a mentally and
physically healthy community; protect our natural environment; foster arts and cultural enrichment; and
create connections for all through partnerships, ease of access, stewardship and innovation.
Final Health and Human Services (HHS) Strategic Focus:
The City of Aspen strives to be a healthy and resilient community by supporting a comprehensive system
of accessible mental and physical health care, human services, and community resources.
For the HHSgrants, the application states, “the City prefers grantees who will serve those who live or work
in Aspen. While no specific quota for dollars or client composition is in place, the City will consider the
strength of Aspen connections when reviewing applications.” After conversing with Council, this language
shall remain unchanged.
The current outcomes and priorities for HHS are focused on programs that address mental health and
substance abuse, including reduction of suicide rates. In addition, programs that support community and
family connections are also a present priority areas.
2
2
Final Arts & Culture Strategic Focus:
The City of Aspen supports artistically excellent non-profit organizations which contribute to the cultural
vibrancy of our community.
Final Community Programs Strategic Focus:
The City of Aspen supports and enhances non-profit organizations which create and deliver high impact
community programming.
With Council’s direction received on the geographical location for the Arts & Culture and Community
Programs Strategic Focus areas, language in the eligibility sections will be incorporated into these two
areas that states, “Non-profit organizations that deliver services to the Roaring Fork Valley are eligible
to apply.”
3
3
ATTACHMENT A:
DRAFT
City of Aspen Grant Program Philosophy:
The City of Aspen’s Grant Program supports non-profit organizations that promote a
mentally and physically healthy community; provide protection for our natural
environment; and create opportunities for connections for all community members,
through partnerships, ease of access, stewardship, arts and cultural enrichment, and
innovation.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Strategic Focus:
The City of Aspen strives to be a healthy and resilient community by supporting a
comprehensive system of accessible mental and physical health care, human services, and
community resources.
Arts & Culture Strategic Focus:
The City of Aspen supports artistically excellent non-profit organizations which contribute
to the cultural vibrancy of our community.
Community Programs Strategic Focus:
The City of Aspen supports and enhances non-profit organizations which create and deliver
high impact community programming.
4
4
ATTACHMENT B: PRELIMINARY WORK PLAN FOR GRANTS PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS
Updated as of August 2021
TASKS 21-Feb 21-Mar 21-Apr 21-May 21-Jun 21-Jul 21-Aug 21-Sep 21-Oct 21-Nov 21-Dec 21-Jan 21-Feb 21-Mar 21-Apr
Finalize grant round opening date
Initial communication with grantees and reviewers re
changes
Open 2022 grant round
Finalize amount of 2022 grant funds (Council)
Close 2022 grant round
Review applications
Distribute contracts
Distribute funding
Evaluate staffing structure or consultant approach.
Separate funding line for HHS grants and HHS IGAs
Communicate process change to HHS applicant pool
Update grant application form
Develop/update eligibility criteria, gather key
stakeholder feedback, develop grant parameters and
monitoring process for 1 and 3-year grants
Develop committee options, structure and charters
Steering Committee (SC) develop City
priorities/strategic focus areas and present to Council
Develop draft scoring criteria, based on priorities
Develop draft application forms (under $10,000, over
$10,000, capital)
Verify target audiences
Send initial message re grant cycle and other upcoming
changes
Develop additional key messages re 2022 cycle
Implement touch points according to timelines
Align scoring criteria with funding priorities
Modify grant applications
Develop communication campaign
Shift the grants timeline
Redefine staffing structure
Consolidate grant programs
2021/2022 - Develop 2-3-year partnership grant program. *2022 Application Cycle - Implement/Rollout 2-3-year partnership grants.*
Redesign and codify grant committees
Develop strategic priorities for funding
5
INFORMATION ONLY MEMORANDUM
TO:Mayor and City Council
FROM:Diane Foster, Assistant City Manager; Scott Miller, Public Works
Director
THROUGH:Sara Ott, City Manager
MEETING DATE:October 15, 2021
RE:City Council Goal Update Process
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:
In July 2021, City Council held its annual retreat and identified three Council Goals. City
Council formally adopted those goals in August by resolution; please see Appendix A.
DISCUSSION:
The nature of the 2021-2022 Council goals has allowed staff to review the process used
for goal planning, execution, and communication with Council. The outcome of this
review is changes in planning process, form, timing, and frequency of communications.
This memo is to provide Council an update on these changes and to establish
expectations moving forward.
Planning Process
Each goal is assigned to staff members responsible for championing its development and
execution. This includes preparation of a workplan and timeline. The workplan and
timeline for each goal will be presented as a policy memo for Council and presented in a
work session for any additional comments.
Form
After the initial work session, Council will receive communications on goals through two
forms:
1. Policy Memo for a work session: Staff will prepare a Policy Memo and appear before
City Council when staff is seeking direction from City Council on a specific item.; and
2. Information Only Memo: When staff is providing City Council with an update, but no
direction is needed.
Timing & Frequency
After the October budget meetings, staff will appear before City Council with workplans.
Thereafter City Council will receive an update on each goal/sub goal on a rotating basis,
such that City Council will have an update on a goal or subgoal every two to three weeks.
Importantly, this will also ensure that multiple goals updates do not appear on the same
work session agenda.
6
ALTERNATIVES:
Staff could consolidate goal updates to one City Council meeting a month. This approach
does not necessarily improve the efficiency of the work and is not recommended.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Staff recommends Council communicate any desired modifications to this plan to Diane
Foster and Scott Miller. Should staff receive divergent input, staff will return to a future
City Council work session
CITY MANAGER COMMENTS
Appendix A: City Council Goals Resolution
7
RESOLUTION #76
(Series of 2021)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ASPEN, COLORADO,
ADOPTING THE 2021-2022 CITY COUNCIL GOALS
WHEREAS, the City Council has a long history of establishing goals to direct priorities for the
City; and
WHEREAS, City Council endeavors to be strategic in its deliberations regarding these goals
to ensure that current opportunities, needs and challenges facing the community are fully
considered; and
WHEREAS, the goals of City Council guide the actions of City Council and the City
Administration in budgeting and programming initiatives; and
WHEREAS, City Council desires to formally adopt year 2021-2022 goals to guide the City in
shaping its future; and
WHEREAS, City Council wishes to articulate the most critical goals for the upcoming work of
the City, while continuing the essential services; and
WHEREAS, Aspen has been a leader for decades in acknowledging the essential nature of
affordable housing to the long-term sustainability of the community through the successful
implementation of policy, and facilitating the construction of affordable housing units; and,
WHEREAS, in spite of this success, Aspen, like many peer communities, faces new challenges
related to housing affordability that have been exacerbated by real estate trends emerging from
the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges have been documented in the recently released
Mountain Migration Report, published by Northwest Colorado Council of Governments in July of
2021; and,
WHEREAS, the importance of the affordable housing issue demands meaningful actions that
best leverage the resources of the City of Aspen in meeting this critical community need; and
WHEREAS, Aspen has recognized the needs for high quality early childhood education as an
important foundation for young children, as a critical support for working families and the Aspen
economy, and has actively supported and funded early childhood education since 1989; and
WHEREAS, City Council has identified an increasing need for childcare spaces that requires
leadership and strong community-wide partnerships to provide physical space and teachers; and
WHEREAS there is a global climate crisis that requires coordinated local efforts and
meaningful action by government leaders worldwide, and
418
WHEREAS the global climate crisis has direct impacts to regional ecology, community
resiliency, and the City of Aspen’s ability to deliver services, and
WHEREAS the scientific community emphasizes that the next eight years are the most critical
to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to levels that will hold global warming to the critical
1.5° Celsius threshold, and
WHEREAS Aspen has a responsibility to reduce the local carbon footprint of the community,
and
WHEREAS waste generation contributes to Aspen’s greenhouse gas footprint and must be
reduced to achieve global carbon reductions, and
WHEREAS the City of Aspen has been and is committed to remaining a global climate action
leader, and
ADD WHEREAS the next eight years are critical for greenhouse gas reductions, the City will
utilize the United Nation’s Race to Zero Program as well as other climate partnerships including
Colorado Communities for Climate Action (CC4CA), The Mountain Pact and others to support our
efforts;
WHEREAS, City Council has identified Critical Goals, where a critical goal is defined as one
where there community is at significant risk of failure without adjusting present course, need to
chart a critical path.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ASPEN, COLORADO,
Section 1. That the City Council of the City of Aspen hereby adopts the following City of Aspen
2020-2021 Council Goals, and does hereby authorize the City Manager to pursue said goals.
Critical Goals
1. Increase number of Affordable Housing Units: In order to deliver an affordable housing
system that is high quality, sustainable, and results in a lived-in community, Council will continue
to evaluate, identify opportunities, plan, partner, facilitate, and leverage existing and new
resources to invest in the development and maintenance of affordable housing.
This will be accomplished through:
a. Convening a City Housing Retreat;
b. Creating an affordable housing strategic plan;
c. Completing Council directed affordable housing development projects;
d. Continuing to seek additional affordable housing development opportunities;
e. Leveraging and amending regulations and policies in support of affordable housing; and
429
f. Supporting continuous improvement with the APCHA program, including ensuring
adequate resources.
2. Increase the number of available childcare spaces
This will be accomplished through:
a. Plan, design to repurpose or build new buildings to add physical capacity to increase
available childcare space.
b. Increase the recruitment and retention of qualified early childhood teachers
c. Generate funding to support the development of new childcare spaces
3. Reduce Aspen’s Greenhouse Gas emissions: Take meaningful action and provide leadership
in reducing the Aspen community’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions by the amount
which is scientifically proven to limit global temperature change.
This will be accomplished through:
a. Maximizing efficiency and minimizing carbon emissions in all of Aspen’s emissions
inventory sectors including: Waste Reduction and Diversion, Transportation, and the Built
Environment
b. Leading climate policy and legislative efforts at local, regional, national, and global scales
INTRODUCED, READ AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Aspen on the
_________ day of ____________.
Torre, Mayor
I, Nicole Henning, duly appointed and acting City Clerk do certify that the foregoing is
a true and accurate copy of that resolution adopted by the City Council of the City of Aspen,
Colorado, at a meeting held, August 10, 2021.
Nicole Henning, City Clerk
4310
INFORMATION ONLY
MEMORANDUM
TO:Mayor Torre and City Council
FROM:Sara Ott, City Manager
THROUGH:
MEMO DATE:10.15.2021
MEETING DATE:10.18.2021
RE:Mental Health First Aid Training
The Aspen community, including residents and workers, continue to experience personal and
community stressors impacting quality of life. Many of these stressors were exacerbated by the COVID-
19 pandemic. There is a need to build resiliency, coping and support infrastructure and mechanisms in
the community that align with the Pitkin County Mental Health Continuum of Care. City of Aspen’s value
of innovation will be a guiding principle in the approach to reach diverse audiences. City of Aspen's
values of innovation and partnership will guide the approach in supporting programs that reflect the
continuum of care priorities and reach a diverse audience.
Mental Health First Aid Training is a reliable and proven training opportunity to support friends and
families experiencing stressors. It will be the first step for the city to underwrite offering this training to
any community member during two sessions in 2021.
The community mental health infrastructure and mechanisms can be strengthened through working
collaboratively with mental health funders, providers, employers, media, governments and non-profits.
Therefore, the City of Aspen will be an initial convener of partners, allowing space for organizations with
greater experience and expertise in this area to lead future efforts.
The City of Aspen will convene interested partners to develop a robust and integrated plan for
additional community programming.
I look forward to discussing this further with you on Monday.
CITY MANAGER COMMENTS:
11