Title
Recommendation to Authorize the Interim City Manager to Execute a Three-Year Agreement in an Amount Not to Exceed $500,000 with Centro Legal de la Raza for Tenant Legal Services; and
Adoption of Resolution Amending the Fiscal Year 2018-19 General Fund Budget of the City Attorney's Office to Appropriate the Remaining $400,000 for Tenant Legal Services. (City Attorney 001-2310)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: David L. Rudat, Interim City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As part of the Mid-Cycle Budget process, the City Council set aside $500,000 of General Fund monies, and appropriated $100,000 of those funds in anticipation of the first year of a three-year pilot project to provide legal services to low-income tenants. Council also directed staff to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to secure an organization to provide the legal services. The City Attorney's Office, in conjunction with the Base Reuse and Community Development Department, conducted the selection process and is recommending that the City Council approve a three-year, $500,000 agreement with Centro Legal de la Raza (Centro Legal) to provide those services.
A $500,000, three-year agreement requires that the remaining $400,000 that was set aside, but not appropriated, in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-19 budget be appropriated at this time.
BACKGROUND
At its May 18, 2018 work session, the Council supported a proposal by the Alameda Renters Coalition to fund legal services for low-income tenants and directed staff to develop a three-year pilot program. On June 19, 2018, the Council committed $500,000 in one-time General Fund monies to fund the pilot program to provide legal services, including eviction defense, for low-income tenants.
Staff is recommending that the Council approve a three-year agreement for tenant legal services in the amount of $500,000 to Centro Legal, for the reasons discussed below.
DISCUSSION
Request for Proposals
The CAO prepared and pu...
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