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A resolution appropriating $471,694 in American Rescue Plan Act funds from Fund #30216 to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee, in partnership with Tennessee State University, to provide mentoring services for first-year college students though an initiative called Big Futures.
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WHEREAS, on June 15, 2021, the Metropolitan Council passed Resolution RS2021-966, a resolution which accepted grant funds for local government support from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds established by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARP Funds”) from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, which was subsequently signed into law by Mayor John Cooper on June 16, 2021; and,
WHEREAS, Resolution RS2021-966 established a COVID-19 Financial Oversight Committee ("the Committee") whose role is to collect, consider, and recommend appropriate uses of the ARP Funds as designated by the Metropolitan Council disbursement plan. The Committee will submit its reports and recommendations to the Mayor, the Director of Finance, and the Metropolitan Council not later than June 30, 2025; and,
WHEREAS, there are federal requirements for use of ARP Funds that require that these funds be expended or obligated on or before December 31, 2024; and,
WHEREAS, the Committee recognizes the importance of equipping young people with tools for post-secondary success through college and career mentoring; and,
WHEREAS, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee’s Big Futures initiative, as described in Exhibit A, will build a system to support college freshmen in understanding how to achieve financial stability/success, to advance career goals, to set a trajectory for academic success/completion, and to maintain/improve mental health; and,
WHEREAS, it is to the benefit of the citizens of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County that this resolution be approved.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. The Metropolitan Council accepts this resolution as a recommendation of the COVID-19 Financial Oversight Committee.
Section 2. That $471,694 from the Covid-19 American Rescue Plan Fund #30216 is hereby appropriated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee to be used to administer the program described in Exhibit A.
Section 3. Quarterly reporting from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee to the COVID-19 Oversight Committee is required. The required information includes but is not limited to the following:
a. Accounting of all grant funds, including identification of grant fund recipients
b. Use of funds and balance of funds remaining from the $471,694 allocation
c. Program results that at a minimum include number of student matches, services provided to the students, sessions/meeting held, etc. as outlined in Exhibit A
Section 4. This resolution shall take effect from and after its final passage, the welfare of the public requiring it.
Agenda Analysis
Analysis
This resolution appropriates $471,694 in American Rescue Plan Act (“ARP”) funds from Fund #30216 to be allocated to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee (“BBBSMT”), in partnership with Tennessee State University (“TSU”), to provide mentoring services for first-year college students through an initiative called Big Futures.
Pursuant to the program description attached to the resolution, BBBSMT will partner with TSU to build a system to support college freshmen in understanding how to achieve financial stability/success, advancing career goals, setting a trajectory for academic success/completion, and maintaining/improving mental health. The ARP funds will be used to provide no-cost access to mental health supports and connecting students to financial success professionals. The program will assist an initial cohort of 10 TSU students beginning in Spring 2024 and 10 additional students in Fall 2024. Students in the initial cohort will be financially compensated in exchange for providing feedback on their experience through listening sessions, focus groups, and surveys.
The Big Futures program budget including funding for staff, professional fees including market research, an online learning platform and additional IT expenses, and office expenses.
BBBSMT will be required to report quarterly to the COVID-19 Oversight Committee. The required information includes, but is not limited to, accounting of all grant funds, including identification of grant fund recipients, the use of funds and balance of fund remaining from the original allocation, and program results, including at a minimum the number of student matches, services provided to students, sessions/meetings held, etc.
Fiscal Note: This $471,694 appropriation, along with the appropriations per Resolutions No. RS2023-2144, RS2023-2145 and RS2023-2146 would be the 50th, 51st, 52nd and 53rd resolutions appropriating from the American Recovery Plan Act (ARP) Fund for a cumulative total of $255,784,599. The total grant award is $259,810,600. The first half of this amount was received in July 2021 and the second half was received in July 2022. The grant award must be obligated by December 31, 2024 and expended by December 31, 2026.