To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Michelle Halstead, Director, Commissioners' Office
Prepared By:
prepared
Sara Overby, Management Analyst, Commissioner’s Office
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presenter
Presenter: Michelle Halstead, Director, Commissioners' Office; Sara Overby, Management Analyst, Commissioners’ Office
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Subject:
title
3:15 PM *ICMA Economic Mobility Grant Application
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The purpose of this drop-in is to approve submittal for a grant application to the ICMA Special Assistants Program for Economic Mobility and Opportunity.
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Background and Discussion: The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is offering a competitive grant opportunity to fifteen local governments interested in hosting a full-time senior professional for two years to collaborate with executive leadership and drive comprehensive economic mobility and opportunity strategies within the community. Support from ICMA will include salary support, coaching, training, and customized technical assistance to develop an implementation plan.
The 2023 Strategic Plan identified economic mobility as a focus area for the County, with an objective to secure technical assistance to identify county role, performance metrics, and opportunities to influence outcomes. Over the last year, staff engaged in various online webinars regarding economic mobility and identified an upcoming economic mobility conference for commissioner participation. The updated strategic plan - Arapahoe Forward - embeds this focus area and associated pillars into the county’s approach to achieve its refined vision.
As the County enters implementation of the next iteration of our strategic plan, we are in a prime position to build organizational capacity and deepen our commitment to economic mobility within our departments to better serve residents.
Fiscal Impact: If selected, the ICMA grant would provide up to $250,000 in funds over 30 months. This grant program requires local contributions over the 30-month period for benefits contributions (approx. $28,968/yr) and supplemental salary (if needed) for the position.
Alternatives: The BOCC may decide to pursue other strategic opportunities for economic mobility in the future.
Alignment with Strategic Plan:
☒Be fiscally sustainable
☐Provide essential and mandated service
☒Be community focused
Staff Recommendation: The Commissioner’s Office staff recommend submitting this application to ICMA to strengthen economic mobility strategies at Arapahoe County.
Concurrence: n/a