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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011/08/16 Item 03CITY COUNCIL & ~,.. REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ~~~.~ AGENDA STATEMENT ~~~ C1TY OF ^" = CHULA ViSfR AUGUST 16, 2011, Item ITEM TITLE: SUBMITTED BY: REVIEWED BY: SUMMARY RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA AND THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA APPROVING THE CILANTRO TO STORES PROGRAM MANUAL AND APPROPRIATING $75,000 IN AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT FUNDS RECEIVED FROM THE SAN DIEGO ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS FOR THE PROM ASSISTANT CITY MANAGE RECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES CITY MANAGER 4/STHS VOTE: YES ~X NO In December 2010, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) released a Call for Projects $1.15 million in grants available for the "Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW)" program. The source of funds for the grants is through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The City of Chula Vista and Redevelopment Agency applied for, and were awazded, $75,000 from SANDAG through the Healthy Community Planning Grant to create healthy community policies and to develop and implement acorner-store conversion program called Cilantro to Stores. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The Environmental Review Coordinator has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that this activity is not a "Project" as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines because it will not result in a physical change to the environment; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines the actions proposed are not subject to CEQA. RECOMMENDATION That the City Council and Redevelopment Agency approve the Cilantro to Stores Program Manual 3-1 Item 3 Page 2 BOARDS/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION On July 28, 2011, the Chula Vista Redevelopment Corporation recommended that the City Council and Redevelopment Agency approve the Cilantro to Stores Program Manual. DISCUSSION During the last year the Redevelopment Agency has focused its efforts on creating a strategy to address public health and public safety issues. This need was identified in large part because of a recent campaign by the County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency Public Health Services that identified three behaviors (poor nutrition, lack of physical activity and tobacco use) that contribute to four diseases (diabetes, heart disease/stroke, cancer, and respiratory illnesses) that account for over 50% of deaths in San Diego County. The result is a huge economic burden of over $4 billion dollazs in direct treatment expenditures. The South County region (of which Chula Vista is the largest city) reported alarming health statistics: • South County adults aze less likely than any other region in the County to engage in moderate activity, five or more days a week, or vigorous physical activity, three or more days a week • Nearly 60% of South County adults are overweight or obese; a higher rate than almost every other region in the County. • South County adults aze more likely to have poor nutrition than adults in any other region in the County • South County adults are less likely to have consumed 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily than adults in almost every other region in the County • In the South County, chronic disease death and medical encounter rates for coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are higher than most other regions in the County. More than one out of eight South Region adults have been diagnosed with asthma, nearly three-quarters of whom reported being current asthmatics in 2007; higher than any other Region. In 2010, the Chula Vista Elementary School District conducted a physical fitness assessment data which included a Body Mass Index (BMI) test of its fifth grade students. The results of that test show that more than half of the students have a BMI range of approximately 35% to 48%, an unhealthy range for individuals of any age. Cilantro to Stores One of the programs that staff identified as an opportunity to begin addressing public health at a programmatic level was acorner-store conversion program primarily to introduce fresh locally- grown produce into comer stores that do not currently offer produce. A corner store is defined as a small-scale store often classified as a convenience/liquor or small grocery store. Stocking fresh produce and other healthy foods is often not easy for small stores or "corner" stores. Many comer store owners care about their community and are concerned about the 3-2 Item 3 Page 3 wellbeing of their customers. However, store owners face constraints such as economics, demographics and space, when making decisions about which items to sell. The Chula Vista Cilantro to Stores program will encourage owners of four (4) comer stores, located in redevelopment project areas, to dedicate a percentage of their squaze footage to the sale of locally-grown fresh produce. Within this area, there aze more than 35 liquor/convenience stores, most located in neighborhoods that do not offer full-service grocery stores resulting in limited opportunities for residents to purchase and consume fresh produce. To incentivize local store owners to participate and to assist in the reduction of visual blight the Chula Vista Redevelopment Agency will provide funds to participating store owners for facade improvements. Additionally, Network fora Healthy California will provide promotional materials, advertising and resources in-kind to assist store owners in marketing new healthy products to store customers. Finally, Public Health Law and Policy, an organization that has successfully implemented similar projects in the Bay Area, will provide in-kind support and technical assistance. An important aspect of this program will also be connecting store owners to local/regional farmers through Chula Vista's two certified farmers' markets and our existing relationships with local growers ensuring that the produce being provided is of the freshest quality and is locally grown. The Cilantro to Stores program is being implemented by a part-time Market Outreach Coordinator working for Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP). This dual report position is being overseen by both the Chula Vista Redevelopment Agency and the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative and financed by the proceeds from this grant. SANDAG requires that the program must be completed by January 31, 2012. It is our hope that by the end of the grant period, the Cilantro to Stores program will have created sustainable fresh produce sections in four corner stores with a further goal to develop supply chains for these fresh produce sections that aze sustainable even after the grant concludes. We intend this to be part of a larger systems shift toward a community that prepares home cooked meals, whose fresh and locally grown ingredients are readily available within walking distance of homes throughout the City. The Program Manual (Attachment A) describes the goals, processes and timeline for implementing the Cilantro to Stores program. DECISION MAKER CONFLICT Staff has reviewed the property holdings of the City Council/Redevelopment Agency Members and has found a conflict exists, in that Councilman Castaneda and Councilman Ramirez have property holdings within 500 feet of the boundaries of the redevelopment project area which is the subject of this action. However, specific corner stores have not yet been identified and may or may not be within 500 feet of the conflicted property holdings. 3-3 Item 3 Page 4 CURRENT YEAR FISCAL IMPACT Approval of this Resolution will result in the appropriation of $75,000 to the ARRA fund that will be used to support the Cilantro to Stores Program. This appropriation results in no net impact since it will be fully reimbursed through a SANDAG grant. The total estimated project cost is $225,000. SANDAG awarded the City/Agency a grant of $75,000. The remaining amount is matched from a variety of sources including: $80,000 of tax increment funds through the Business Improvement Grant (BIG) Program, $35,000 in staff and office support in-kind services from the City/Agency, $6435 in in-kind staff time from Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP), $12,000 in merchandising and advertising materials from the Network for a Healthy California, and $20,000 in technical assistance from Public Health Law & Policy. Through Resolution No. 2011-016, the City/Agency committed to providing up to $80,000 For necessary store improvements. To fund the City/Agency's matching funds staff has identified monies through the Agency's existing BIG Program for FY 2011-2012. Other funding options are also being explored. ONGOING FISCAL IMPACT No ongoing fiscal impact has been identified. ATTACHMENTS A. Cilantro to Stores Program Manual Prepared by: Diem Do, Senior Project Coordinator, Development Services 3-4 Attachment A "Cilantro to Stores" Program Manual Purpose: The Chula Vista "Cilantro to Stores" program aims to bring more healthy food alternatives for residents and visitors to the underserved areas of Western Chula Vista. By carefully selecting, building rapport, and working with four corner stores (stores that are small-scale that sell a limited selection of foods and other products, such as a convenience store, neighborhood store, liquor store or bodega), the program will increase access to healthy food. In particular, the four stores will be located within a Chula Vista Redevelopment Project Area, selling produce to local residents and other consumers in the area. "Cilantro to Stores" provides access to fresh fruits and vegetables that are locally-grown, or sourced by local farmers. Through this program, local farmers will have an opportunity to sell their crop, store owners will be able to offer healthier goods, and consumers will have better nutritional choices, thereby positively affecting our local economy and the health of the environment. Stakeholders: City of Chula Vista Redevelopment Agency; San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative (COI) facilitated by the Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP); four (4) comer stores to be determined, local farmers/Chula Vista Farmers' Market; "Cilantro to Stores" Advisory Committee - County of San Diego HHSA South Region, Network for a Healthy California, Health Policy Consulting Group, Public Health Law and Policy, and San Diego State University; and other community partners. The main program participants include the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative (C01) facilitated by CHIP, Network for a Healthy California (Network) and Public Healthy Law and Policy (PHLP). COI is a public/private partnership whose mission is to reduce and prevent childhood obesity in San Diego County by creating healthy environments for all children and families through advocacy, education, policy development, and environmental change. CHIP is apublic-private collaborative dedicated to community health improvement, who strives to promote innovation and efficiency among all of San Diego County's public health efforts. These entities will provide the resources to meet the policy goals of "Cilantro to Stores." The Network is a state-wide organization that creates innovative partnerships to empower low-income residents to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, and food security with the goal of preventing obesity and other diet-related chronic diseases. They will assist in the marketing and direct outreach to consumers. PHLP is a team of attorneys, policy analysts, and urban planners dedicated to building healthy communities nationwide. They will be assisting in providing technical assistance for the store conversion projects. Strategies: As many comer stores sell unhealthy items such as junk food, alcohol and cigarettes, which are easy to stock, widely distributed, and have high profit margins, "Cilantro to Stores" will inform store owners/operators about healthier merchandise choices in several ways. The program will help provide information to store owners/operators about the unmet demand for healthy food items that neighbors want to buy, provide samples of food products for store owners to see, taste, and touch, and share data about the potential returns from selling fresh, healthy products. In addition, store 3-5 owners can realize a new or expanded market by possibly accepting WIC and EBT subsidies. The profitability of these new items and the availability of produce, as demanded by some consumers, can create a small market shift. Since many comer stores have limited capacity to stock perishable items, the Chula Vista Redevelopment Agency will provide assistance to finance the store upgrade plans and related equipment necessary to sell fresh produce. This may include coolers, other refrigerated units, new or remodeled shelves, or other display furnishings. In addition to physical changes in the store, the store will need technical support on stocking and marketing the produce during the transition. The store owner must be willing to make changes and invest additional effort in order to create a successful transition, and "Cilantro to Stores" and its partners will help provide the necessary support and resources. Detailed information on how to handle, store, and display produce will be provided to the store ownersloperators. At the same time, community buy-in and support will be important to promote strong sales and to ensure that healthy changes will be sustained over time. Residents who become accustomed to greater access of healthy food will be able to expect a higher standard. "Cilantro to Stores" will rely on partner Network for a Healthy California (Network) to assist in marketing and advertising the new produce. The Network will help provide posters, shelf signs, display signs, brochures, and recipes to promote produce sales, as well as, other promotional tools to advertise the produce to current and new customers. They will also give food demonstrations at the stores to show customers how healthy food can be prepared and consumed. While the program is on a fast, 6-month track, Healthy Policy Consulting Group (HPCG), a professional evaluation consultant, will help document the process, partnerships, successes and barriers. Specifically, they will work with staff to track process activities, develop a case study evaluation plan for collection and analysis of data, conduct baseline and post intervention interviews with store owners, and review data of cost of store upgrades and sales of produce. Finally, HPCG will synthesize and analyze data and will prepare and submit a final report. Process: Preliminary research and outreach to stores is the frst phase of the program. Over three dozen corner stores in Redevelopment Project Areas in Western Chula Vista were initially identified as prospective participants (see attached map). A selection matrix, with criteria ranging from location and access, store infrastructure and business activity, and merchant's vnllingness to participate, will be used to determine the targets for outreach. By evaluating the more specific components of each criteria, weighing potential factors to success, and considering the community feedback received, the stores will be narrowed down to the initial target stores. A drop-in visit and letter will be provided to these target stores to introduce and describe the program. The letter will also include specifc instructions on how interested participants can apply. Review of the applications and discussion with the Advisory Committee will determine the final four (4) store participants. The Advisory Committee will represent different segments of the health and local community and will advise and help guide the "Cilantro to Stores' program throughout all phases. Finally in the first phase, contact will be made with farmers participating in the Third Avenue Village Certified Farmers' Market, to assess potential sources for the comer store produce. The second phase of the program is project development. This includes working with the selected stores to develop a store project plan. The plan will identify the store owner's goals, coordinate 3-6 those goals with the objectives of "Cilantro to Stores," and outline the actions required to provide fresh produce or other healthy foods. During this phase, specific certified will be identified and possible distribution methods will be explored. The goal is to create a distribution system that is profitable and efficient for both the farmer and store owner/operator. Farmers will help to increase access to produce, and at the same time may have an opportunity to see a greater demand for their crop. Further, the existing store layout, infrastructure and inventory will be evaluated, and a store plan, to include improved layout and any new equipment, will be drafted. "Cilantro to Stores" will facilitate a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which will document the agreement and the mutual goals between the store owners and the Chula Vista Redevelopment Agency. The MOU will include the expectations of the store owner to sell the produce through and beyond the program and to provide information related to those sales, as well as, fnancing and resources provided by the Agency/City. The next phase is project implementation. This phase involves working with the stores and the farmers to determine and establish a process for distribution of fresh produce and other healthy food. Technical assistance, as previously described, will be provided to the stores to assist in the transition to selling new healthy items. The final phase is project evaluation, where data will be gathered, reviewed, and documented to create along-term plan for sustainability. Funding: The project is funded by the Chula Vista Redevelopment Agency and through a $75,000 grant directly from SANDAG's Healthy Communities Campaign. Chula Vista Redevelopment Agency applied for the grant and was awarded after a competitive process. Specifically, SANDAG was provided these funds by the County of San Diego Healthy and Human Services Agency, which is implementing the Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) created originally by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. A total of $16.1 million in grants were awarded to San Diego, the largest allocation in the country. Project Timeline: July -August 2011: Store Outreach September 2011: Project Development October -December 2011: Project Implementation January 2012: Project Evaluation 'The "Cilantro to Stores" Advisory Committee will meet at least once during each phase of the project. Summary: The Chula Vista "Cilantro to Stores" program is amulti-phased 6-month project which brings together multiple community partnerships, Healthy Community Planning Grant and Redevelopment funds, positive store participation, and growing community buy-in to increase access to fresh, healthy produce to corner stores in the undeserved areas of Western Chula Vista. Community partnerships and valuable resources will all come together under "Cilantro to Stores" to provide a positive contribution to the local economy and improve the health of the environment. 3-7 ~wi ~:~.:. Legend ~~r« CHUTA V6TA r,~ ~ Liquor Store ~- ~~ •,~" ' ~; Grocery Store .••y ••~~".-..~ i Drug Store "~" ••~«~ j School • ~••''•~• ~•• + Convenience Store .~ e~ h~."•~• •~ j, _! Redevelopment Area "•~•,.' ••' ost 'i ~ ~ 500' Radius from Schools .•• ~C r• y r S ~1 ~ 'r. F v ~ - ~-- ` j :, ~~r i H5ta p ~ l tst~ ~ l da~~ ~ .C ~ s ,_ ~\ 9 ~ \ r ~ °a j l San Diego ~ ,~, ~ st tesgt r Bay rj ~ NaP- ~ `~ ..~ "•~' 1 •,i . ' rr Orange q~ ~ ~ s.~ ~ ~ j ~ ~' I i i .r...~.., ~.~' Main St 1 1 ry W~E ~ 1 ' y - yam... ~., •rr.u~,l. - ~. 0 3,000 6,000 Feet 3-8 ,~~, o.,, o.M~,..,~~mry a~ =,ob m.d CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY RESOLUTION NO RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA AND THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA APPROVING THE CILANTRO TO STORES PROGRAM MANUAL AND APPROPRIATING $75,000 IN AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT FUNDS RECEIVED FROM THE SAN DIEGO ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS FOR THE PROGRAM WHEREAS, the County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency Public Health Services identified three behaviors (poor nutrition, lack of physical activity and tobacco use) that contribute to four diseases (diabetes, heart disease/stroke, cancer, and respiratory illnesses) that account for over 50% of deaths in San Diego County; and WHEREAS, nearly 60% of South County adults are overweight or obese; a higher rate than almost every other region in the County and are more likely to have poor nutrition than adults in any other region in the County; and WHEREAS, South County adults are less likely to have consumed 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily than adults in almost every other region in the County; and WHEREAS, the Cilantro to Stores program will encourage owners of four (4) corner stores, located in redevelopment project areas, to dedicate a percentage of their squaze footage to the sale of locally-grown fresh produce; and WHEREAS, to incentivize local store owners to participate and to assist in the reduction of visual blight the Chula Vista Redevelopment Agency will provide funds to participating store owners for facade improvements; and WHEREAS, An important aspect of this program will also be connecting store owners to local/regional farmers through Chula Vista's two certified fazmers' mazkets and our existing relationships with local growers ensuring that the produce being provided is of the freshest quality and is locally grown; and WHEREAS, the City of Chula Vista and Redevelopment Agency received $75,000 in grant funds for the Healthy Community Plaruung Grant to develop healthy communities policies and to develop and implement the "Cilantro-to-Stores" program to incorporate fresh local produce in convenience and liquor stores; and WHEREAS, the City of Chula Vista committed matching funds and in-kind contributions and authorized City of Chula Vista staff to accept the grant funds, execute a grant agreement with the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) with no exceptions, and complete the two programs by February 1, 2012; and 3-9 Resolution No. Page 2 WHEREAS, the agreement between the City of Chula Vista and SANDAG was executed Apri129, 2011; and WHEREAS, the total estimated project cost is $225,000. SANDAG awazded the City/Agency a grant of $75,000. The remaining amount is matched from a vaziety of sources including: $80,000 of tax increment funds through the Business Improvement Grant (BIG) Program, $35,000 in staff and office support in-kind services from the City/Agency, $6435 in in- kind staff time from Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP), $12,000 in merchandising and advertising materials from the Network for a Healthy California, and $20,000 in technical assistance from Public Health Law & Policy; and WHEREAS, through Resolution No. 2011-016, the City/Agency committed to providing up to $80,000 for necessary store improvements. To fund the City/Agency's matching funds staff has identified monies through the Agency's existing BIG Program for FY 2011-2012. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Chula Vista and the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Chula Vista approve the Cilantro to Stores Program Manual that describes the goals, process and timeline for implementing the program. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Chula Vista approves the appropriation of $75,000 to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Fund's Capital Expense Category to be offset by a SANDAG grant in support of the Cilantro to Stores Program. Presented by Approved as to form by Gary Halbert, AICP, PE Assistant City Manager/Director of Development Services ~~ °~ Glen R. Googins City Attorney 3-10