HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 10395 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 20-10395
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council April 17, 2020
Page 1 of 3
xA.
SUBJECT: WEEKLY UPDATE ON COVID-19 ADVISORY COMMITTEES
1q irn {
1875
At the City Council's special called meeting on March 19, 2020, Mayor Betsy Price announced her intent to appoint
a set of four advisory committees that would advise the City Council and the City Manager about urgent issues
associated with the COVID-19 public health emergency. These advisory committees, each to be co-chaired by two
Council members,would address issues relating to health, small business and economic recovery, education and
childcare, and community services.
The Health Advisory Committee dissolved on March 23 after meeting twice, but this committee has been
reconstituted as the Committee on Reopening the Economy (CORE)to analyze public health data and determine
when and how the City should consider rescinding various emergency restrictions. The other three committees
have remained active and productive as evidenced by the following summary of their progress during the past
week. The co-chairs of all four committees appeared with Mayor Price in her daily COVID-19 briefings this week to
inform the public about that progress.
Committee on Reopening the Economy, co-chaired by Brian Byrd and Dennis Shingleton
This newly appointed committee consists of the two co-chairs and ten prominent civic leaders, including experts in
public health and various aspects of the local economy. The committee met for the first time on April 14 and will
meet again on April 21. In her charge to the committee, Mayor Price emphasized the following points:
1. Critical issues: We need to communicate to the public: When will it be safe to re-open, how is it going to
look, and how did we reach that decision?
2. City leadership:These questions may get answered in part at the county, state, or federal level, and those
answers might pre-empt some of our decisions. We also realize that this is a highly fluid situation.
Nevertheless, most of the crisis decisions were City-led at the front end and they are likely to be City-led as
we emerge from the pandemic. We cannot wait and hope that someone else is going to figure this out for
us.
3. Guidelines and phasing: Within the next two weeks, local public health officials can help us to articulate
clear guidelines as to when we should be reopening. Also, local industry and community leaders can help
us to articulate what that should mean for key activities, such as religious gatherings, large public events,
hotels and tourism, restaurants and bars, and many other businesses. We expect the reopening to occur in
a phased manner as any loosening of restrictions will impact these activities differently.
Small Business and Economic Recovery Advisory Committee, co-chaired by Cary Moon and Ann Zadeh
1. Financial assistance:The application process for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has gone live and
there have been many applications already processed. Mike Pavell (Bank of America) and Tony Prenger
(Pinnacle Bank)joined the call to give some input on how they are processing the loan applications. Bank of
America indicated that they have had 106,000 requests for forbearance thus far but are getting clients
funded.They are only accepting applications from current account holders due to anti-money-laundering
security measures that must take place with new customers. As of last week, Pinnacle Bank has been
accepting applications and has had over 450 loans approved locally for$63 million.They are also only
accepting applications from account holders currently.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 20-10395
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council April 17, 2020
Page 2 of 3
xA.
SUBJECT: WEEKLY UPDATE ON COVID-19 ADVISORY COMMITTEES
1q irn {
1875
2. Communications:The committee discussed how we could communicate what to do once a business
receives the PPP funding.Tarrant SBDC said that they will investigate best practices. The Sparkyard website
was offered as an option to push out the information. Concerns were raised by multiple committee
members about the support network and support systems for small businesses and having a succinct way
to communicate with them outside of email. The City completed the one-page guide discussed at the last
meeting and this has been placed on the website.Tarrant SBDC has a call center that has gone live and they
have been taking calls to answer FAQs and connect the businesses with an advisor if needed.They have
been working on translating all their information into Spanish and Vietnamese.
3. Employment and recovery: City staff has been talking to the Fort Worth Chamber on how to encourage the
Fort Worth community to support its own through "buy local" programs.The committee would like to drill
down on what that looks like and engage Visit Fort Worth for the marketing efforts.There are several
initiatives under way including a "Made in Fort Worth" branding effort and a "Hold Down the Fort" video
series that is telling stories of how COVID is impacting businesses. The committee recommends building on
those initiatives and pursuing them in a coordinated way.
Education and Childcare Advisory Committee, co-chaired by Carlos Flores and Kelly Allen Gray
1. Internet access: On April 14,the Fort Worth Independent School District board of trustees voted to support
the Learning at Home initiative by ratifying the emergency purchase of 3,200 Chromebook computers and
5,000 Internet hot spots to be distributed on April 16 and 17 at elementary school sites for students who
lack Internet access. The committee supports these efforts but has focused much of its attention upon the
challenges facing many low-income and immigrant families in which parents may lack the technical,
educational, and/or language skills necessary to facilitate their children's online learning. These problems
tend disproportionately to affect African-American and Hispanic families, who already faced significant
educational disparities before the onset of coronavirus. The school district shares these concerns and has
been keeping the committee informed about their efforts to address them.
2. Childcare services for families of essential workers:Through the leadership of Child Care Associates and
other organizations,we now have an online search tool whereby the families of essential workers can easily
find licensed childcare providers near their homes and worksites. Essential workers include not only
hospital employees and first responders, but also critical infrastructure workers, grocery and restaurant
employees, and many others upon whom we depend for essential services. We have over 7,700 childcare
slots available at more than 400 licensed facilities throughout Tarrant County. The website is
http://find.bestplace4kids.com. Furthermore, we also have access to 100-percent childcare subsidies for
essential workers with incomes at or below 150 percent of the state median income, or$118,000 for a
family of four. These subsidies will cover a three-month emergency period and we currently have funding
for approximately 600 essential workers. To apply for these subsidies, essential workers should visit the
local Child Care Management Services website, https://tarrantcountVccros.org, and complete a simple
online application. A caseworker will contact them within 48 hours to finalize and activate the assistance.
The main challenge seems to be promoting awareness of available childcare slots and available childcare
subsidies among essential workers. Through April 16, Child Care Associates has received 376 applications
and has enrolled 142 children for the 600 subsidized slots, but the committee believes that the demand
would be greater if more essential workers were aware of these resources. The City's Communications and
Public Engagement Department has been addressing this challenge by intensifying publicity about the
program.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 20-10395
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council April 17, 2020
Page 3 of 3
xA.
SUBJECT: WEEKLY UPDATE ON COVID-19 ADVISORY COMMITTEES
1q irn {
1875
Community Services Advisory Committee, co-chaired by Gyna Bivens and Jungus Jordan
1. Food security: City distribution of evening meals for children at community centers is averaging 3,600 to
4,000 per week.The Tarrant Area Food Bank (TAFB), Meals on Wheels, and Catholic Charities partnership
began delivering fresh produce, frozen meals, and senior-friendly staples to homebound elderly and
disabled persons on April 141".This is in addition to the 5,000 meals per day delivered by Meals on Wheels
volunteers. Older adults obtaining meals from Sixty and Better at City community centers has increased
from 125 to 173 adults. Committee members and staff are gathering food distribution locations and service
zip code data to identify gaps.
2. Communications: On April 10,the City issued a robocall to residents in zip codes 76112, 76116, and 76119
with high numbers of COVID-19 cases. On April 14,the City mailed a large postcard in English and Spanish
to residents in those same zip codes with shelter in place guidance and resource information.The City will
robocall all residents by April 17 and will mail a flier to many more residents with COVID-19 resource
information by early next week. City Communications has provided 10,000 fliers this week to grocery stores
and meal distribution locations at community centers, United Community Centers, Boys& Girls Clubs,
YMCAs, and churches.The flier has also been emailed to distribution lists including NextDoor, Fort Worth
ISD, and faith-based groups. Communications is creating a distribution list of Spanish-speaking churches to
send Spanish faith-based bulletins with COVID-19 resources. City News and social media now include
positive "Worth Sharing" stories from neighborhoods and churches.
The City's resource website is: http://fortworthtexas.gov/COVID-19/community-resources.
3. Housing and utility assistance:The City via Community Action Partners continues to provide housing and
utility assistance to qualified residents: http://fortworthtexas.gov/cap. Low-income residents are also
eligible for deferred payment plans for electric bills and may call the Public Utility Commission to enroll:
866-454-8387.
If you have any questions about this information, please contact the following staff members as appropriate:
o Reopening the Economy: Chelsea Adler, Chief of Staff(817-392-6363);
o Small Business and Economic Recovery: Robert Sturns, Economic Development Director(817-392-2663);
o Education and Childcare: Fernando Costa, Assistant City Manager (817-392-6122); and
o Community Services: Dana Burghdoff, Assistant City Manager(817-392-8018).
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS