Title
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY OFFICIALS TO NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT WITH HUMAN DEVELOPMENT CENTER FOR INVESTMENT IN THE DULUTH COMMUNITY CRISIS RESPONSE PROGRAM
Body
CITY PROPOSAL AND COUNCILOR ANDERSON:
WHEREAS, throughout 2021, a working group of community organizers, organizational stakeholders, and representatives from Saint Louis County, a representative from the City Council, the Administration - including the Duluth Police Department, Duluth Fire Department and the Chief Administrative Officer - have met with the goal of outlining and planning for the establishment of a community crisis response program in the city of Duluth; and
WHEREAS, the Community Crisis Response program is intended to provide consistent and timely, compassionate and non-punitive response to mental health, housing and substance use crises in the Duluth area by expanding the funds available for the existing Crisis Response Team services; and
WHEREAS, the staff and mission of the Community Crisis Response program is intended to represent the race, culture, lived experiences, sexual and gender identity, and socioeconomic status - to the greatest extent possible - of the Duluth community; and
WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Community Crisis Response program to be accessible to all, non-punitive and able to respond independent of law enforcement, medical or specific service providers as appropriate in non-violent, non-medical emergency situations; and
WHEREAS, the Community Crisis Response program is intended to coordinate, respond when appropriate with and learn from existing community service providers, including law enforcement and medical responders; and
WHEREAS, on September 27, 2021, the Duluth City Council passed a maximum levy that included $600,000 in ongoing funding for an enhanced community crisis response program that - pending 2022 budget adoption - would fund the Community Crisis Response Program; and
WHEREAS, in Minnesota, crisis response service funding is allocated regionally, with Duluth located in Region 3 within St. Louis County; and
WHEREAS, in the Adult Mental Health Initiative of Region 3 recently completed a Request for Proposals and selected a new vendor for the Duluth-service area and will be entering into a contract for crisis response services with the Human Development Center; and
WHEREAS, supplementing and expanding the existing contract through the investment of these funds - and coordinating this funding with future regional contracts - provides the greatest efficiency, expansion of scope and return on investment; and
WHEREAS, working in connection and coordination with existing services will increase effectiveness of this program and maximize the impact of the funding on those most in need of the associated services.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that it is the desire of the City to work with the Human Development Center to expand the Crisis Response Team contract to meet the community needs identified through this collaborative process;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that City officials are authorized to begin negotiation of a professional services agreement with Human Development Center for the purposes of supplementing and expanding existing crisis response work, with an explicit focus on the City of Duluth; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the contract include staffing, administrative and startup costs, a vehicle and marketing of this service, with the goal of integrating it into the existing work being done by regional mental health responders and the Duluth Police Department and provide for both regular community feedback and an annual review of the contract by the Duluth City Council.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This resolution begins the official process for allocation, encumbrance and ongoing expenditure of $600,000 from the City of Duluth’s general fund budget specifically intended for enhanced crisis response in Duluth.
The resolution lays out next steps for the Administration after adoption of the 2022 budget, to include a professional services agreement the Human Development Center, which will come to the City Council for approval.
This path is consistent with the dedicated work of community organizers, existing service providers and city staff and Saint Louis County.