STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Government Performance & Financial Management
AGENDA DATE: June 22, 2022
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S): All
DEPARTMENT: Office of Procurement Services
EXECUTIVE: Elizabeth Reich
______________________________________________________________________
SUBJECT
Title
Authorize an two-year eighteen-month subrecipient agreement to provide legal services to residential tenants at risk of eviction and homelessness due to financial hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic for the Office of Equity and Inclusion - Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, most advantageous proposer of two - Not to exceed $250,000 $500,000 - Financing: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
Body
BACKGROUND
This subrecipient agreement will provide for eviction legal services for the Dallas Eviction Assistance Initiative. The Evictions Assistance Initiative was created to continue mitigation of evictions efforts in Dallas. The initiative establishes an evictions program where direct legal services will be provided to Dallas residents including at least 30 percent of intended beneficiaries at or below the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and residents negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the initiative is to mitigate Dallas residents finding themselves facing eviction and possible homelessness without the resources to retain legal representation.
Due to the lingering impacts of COVID-19 financial hardships, residential tenants continue to face the threat of eviction and homelessness. Since the end of the CDC Eviction Moratorium on August 26, 2021, the number of evictions filed in Dallas have steadily increased to pre-pandemic numbers as noted in the North Texas Evictions Project <https://northtexasevictions.org/>(northtexasevictions.org<https://northtexasevictions.org/) by the Child Poverty Action Lab.
It can reasonably be deduced from interactions with residents, the court administrators, and the County that City residents continue to experience a steady increase in evictions while COVD-19 financial hardships linger, impacting communities in need. Those particularly at high risk include low-income communities, the disabled, impoverished women, persons of color, domestic violence victims, and families with children.
The recommended firm is a non-profit organization that provides civil legal services to low income residents. They have disclosed and agreed to obtain a conflict waiver from their clients who are adverse to the City. The firm is also implementing an ethical wall between staff members who are representing clients adverse to the City and those who are working on the eviction program. They agree not to use City issued funds toward the adverse litigation or clients. The firm intends to collaborate with several partners including CitySquare, whose subsidiary is a plaintiff in litigation against the City.
A three-member committee from the following departments reviewed and evaluated the qualifications:
• Office of Equity and Inclusion (2)
• Department of Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization (1)
The committee selected the successful respondent on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualifications under the following criteria:
• Approach 50 points
• Experience 40 points
• Diversity and equity 10 points
As part of the solicitation process and in an effort to increase competition, the Office of Procurement Services used its procurement system to send out email notifications to vendors registered under relevant commodity codes. To further increase competition, the Office of Procurement Services uses historical solicitation information, the Internet, and vendor contact information obtained from user departments to contact additional vendors.
PRIOR ACTION/REVIEW (COUNCIL, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS)
On January 13, 2021, City Council authorized a subrecipient agreement with Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, most advantageous proposer of two, to provide legal services to Dallas residential tenants at risk of eviction and homelessness due to financial hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic for the period December 31, 2020 through December 31, 2021 by Resolution No. 21-0167.
On June 23, 2021, City Council authorized the acceptance of grant funds from the U.S. Department of Treasury for the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund to provide relief during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic by Resolution No. 21-1149.
On September 22, 2021, City Council authorized the final reading and adoption of the appropriation ordinance for the FY 2021-22 City of Dallas Operating, Capital, and Grant & Trust Budgets, which included the ARPA funds from the U.S. Department of Treasury for the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds by Resolution No. 21-1590.
INFORMATION
|
Fund |
FY 2022 |
FY 2023 |
Future Years |
|
Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds |
$250,000.00 |
$250,000.00 |
$0.00 |
M/WBE INFORMATION
In accordance with the City’s Business Inclusion and Development Policy adopted on September 23, 2020, by Resolution No. 20-1430, as amended, the M/WBE participation on this contract is as follows:
|
Contract Amount |
Procurement Category |
M/WBE Goal |
M/WBE % |
M/WBE $ |
|
$250,000 $500,000 |
Other Services |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
• The Business Inclusion and Development Policy does not apply to Other Service contracts. |
|
• Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas - Non-local; Workforce - 0.00% Local |
PROCUREMENT INFORMATION
Method of Evaluation of Award Type
|
Request for |
• Utilized for professional, personal, revenue, and planning services |
|
Proposal |
• Recommended offeror is the responsible offeror whose proposal most closely meets established criteria for the services advertised, based on demonstrated competence and qualifications at a fair and reasonable price |
|
|
• Always involves the evaluation by committee |
|
|
• Allows for negotiation on contract terms, including price |
The Office of Procurement Services received the following proposals from solicitation number BR22-00018285. We opened them on March 4, 2022. We recommend the City Council award this service contract in its entirety to the most advantageous proposer.
*Denotes successful proposer
Proposers Address Score
*Legal Aid of 600 East Weatherford St. 97.67
NorthWest Texas Forth Worth, TX 76102
Peaceful Resolutions LLC 811 South Tennessee St. 50.00
GROUP, PC Amarilla, TX 79106
OWNER
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas
Kristin E. Postel, President (Chair)
Penny R. Robe, Vice President (Vice-Chair)