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PROPOSED CONTRACT
Department(s): Department of Resource Management
Vendor: Chicago Department of Transportation, Chicago, Illinois
Request: Authorization for the Forest Preserves of Cook County (the “Forest Preserves”) to enter into and execute
Good(s) or Service(s): Greencorps Chicago Program
Contract Value: Not to exceed $1,350,000.00 ($1,300,000.00 grant funding received through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”), plus up to $50,000.00 contingency)
Contract Period: 1/1/2023 - 12/31/2024
Estimated Fiscal Impact: FY 2023 $25,000.00, FY 2024 $25,000.00
Accounts: ARPA Conservation Corps 51032.521444; Professional Services 51031.520840; and all future Co-Op Programs and Professional Services accounts
Contract Number(s): #74000011524 issued under RFP #22-31-116
Concurrences: The Chief Financial Officer has approved this item. Final agreement is subject to legal review and approval.
The contract-specific Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise goal for this contract was set to zero.
District(s): Districtwide
Summary: The Forest Preserves issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking firm(s) to co-facilitate job training and employment programs that utilize a Conservation Corps model, with financial support provided by federal stimulus funds allocated to Cook County through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to assist the region in its recovery from the economic and health effects caused by COVID-19. Conservation Corps programs must provide participants with paid, field-based ecological restoration experiences that train participants to restore the land as directed. Programs feature environmental education and soft skills trainings to prepare participants for future employment in any field of study. This RFP partners with Cook County’s Bureau of Economic Development to expand and create corps programs that benefit people who are of low income, who have suffered from historical disenfranchisement, and whose communities are disproportionately impacted by environmental justice issues. A total of three (3) responses were received for this project, all of whom were found to be responsive and subsequently awarded a portion of the overall funding available. Proposals were evaluated on their experience and expertise with similar projects, proposed approach, cost proposal, and capacity to perform all aspects of the work.
Greencorps Chicago is the City of Chicago’s green-industry employment program with on-the-job training for individuals with barriers to employment. The program promotes environmental stewardship in the Forest Preserves by maintaining and restoring the land through hands-on involvement with program participants. The outcome is healthier, safer, and more engaged communities and individuals who are prepared for employment through practical field experience and technical training in a variety of environmentally related jobs. Greencorps Chicago is a public/private partnership between the Chicago Department of Transportation and WRD Environmental. This nine (9) month program will engage approximately sixty-five (65) adult participants annually in hands-on conservation activities including, but not limited to, invasive species removal, assistance with prescribed burns, and seed collecting.
This proposal leverages $333,250.00 in direct partner match contributed by the Chicago Department of Transportation. Total program costs are not to exceed $1,350,000.00, of which the Forest Preserves is requesting authority to contribute up to $50,000.00 direct match to allow for additional flexibility, if needed. Conservation Corps programs advance the goals of the Next Century Conservation Plan by mobilizing people to heal and nurture the lands through a paid conservation corps model.
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