Ordinance No. 1265 ORDINANCE NO . 1265
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
VERNON AMENDING SECTION 2 . 162 AND SECTIONS 2 . 164
THROUGH 2 . 166 OF ARTICLE XX OF CHAPTER 2 OF THE
VERNON MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO THE VERNON
COMMUNITY FUND
WHEREAS, on February 4, 2014, the City Council of the City
of Vernon adopted Ordinance No. 1218 establishing the Vernon CommUNITY
Fund Grant Committee (the "Grant Committee") ; and
WHEREAS, Section 2 . 162 of Article XX of Chapter 2 of the
Vernon Municipal Code establishes the scheduling of Grant Committee
meetings; and
WHEREAS, Sections 2 . 164 through 2. 166 of Article XX of Chapter
2 of the Vernon Municipal Code establish the allocation of funds by the
Grant Committee, eligibility criteria for grant recipients, and criteria
for ranking grant proposals; and
WHEREAS, on January 17, 2017, the City Council of the City of
Vernon adopted Ordinance No. 1238 amending Section 2 . 164 of Article XX
of Chapter 2 of the Vernon Municipal Code to allow for funds
appropriated to the Vernon CommUNITY Fund to cover administrative costs
associated with its management; and
WHEREAS, on October 16, 2018, the City Council of the City of
Vernon adopted Ordinance No. 1257 amending Sections 2 . 164 through 2 . 166
of the Vernon Municipal Code to modify Vernon CommUNITY Fund ("VCF")
grant allocation provisions and include the specific eligibility and
selection criteria for scholarship applicants; and
WHEREAS, by memorandum dated April 7, 2020, the City
Administrator has recommended the adoption of an ordinance amending
Section 2. 162 regarding the schedule of Grant Committee meetings
depending on allocations of funds to the VCF, and Sections 2 . 164 through
2 . 166 of the Vernon Municipal Code to modify VCF grant allocation
provisions and criteria to eliminate the capital grant offering from
the program; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to amend Section 2. 162
regarding the schedule of Grant Committee meetings depending on
allocation of funds to the VCF, and Sections 2 . 164 through 2 . 166 of
Article XX of Chapter 2 of the Vernon Municipal Code to modify Vernon
CommUNITY Fund grant allocation provisions and criteria to eliminate
the capital grant offering from the program.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF VERNON HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION 1 : The City Council of the City of Vernon hereby
finds and determines that all of the foregoing recitals are true and
correct .
SECTION 2 : Section 2 . 162 of Article XX of Chapter 2 of the
Vernon Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows :
Sec. 2 . 162 . Scheduling Committee Meetings.
If City Council has approved an allocation of funds to the VCF for
the fiscal year, the following shall apply:
(a) Regular Meetings . The Grant Committee shall have regular
meetings at least twice per year, on dates and at times established by
a resolution of the Committee.
(b) Cancelling meetings . Upon request of a majority of the
Grant Committee, the Executive Director shall cancel a properly called
previously scheduled meeting (regular or otherwise) and provide notice
no less than 10 days in advance to the Grant Committee and the public
of the date of the new meeting.
(c) Initial and Special meetings . The date of the first
- 2 -
meeting and any special meeting shall be set by the Executive
Director. Special meetings of the Grant Committee shall require no
less than 10 days prior notice to the Grant Committee and the public.
(d) Meeting location. Meetings shall be held at City Hall,
unless the Executive Director selects a different publicly accessible
location within the City of Vernon.
SECTION 3: Section 2 . 164 of Article XX of Chapter 2 of the
Vernon Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
The Grant Committee shall allocate funds appropriated to the
VCF by the City Council according to the following formula:
(a) Administrative Costs shall be determined for the fiscal year
and the amount shall be allocated for payment from funds appropriated
to the VCF.
(b) The remainder of available funds in any fiscal year may be
awarded to proposals to expend funds on direct services and/or
scholarship grants. No single grant of this type shall be in an amount
more than $250, 000 .
SECTION 4 : Section 2 . 165 of Article XX of Chapter 2 of the
Vernon Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows :
In conjunction with the eligibility requirements herein, the
Grant Committee may adopt administrative guidelines consistent with the
provisions of this Article for the purpose of interpreting, clarifying,
and carrying out the program parameters established herein. Said
guidelines may be adopted through the normal activities of
the Grant Committee if deemed appropriate and shall always work in
tandem with the eligibility requirements set forth in this section.
(a) For direct service grants :
i . Only organizations exempt from taxation under Section
- 3 -
501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code or bona fide
American governmental entities shall be eligible to
receive grants .
ii . Eligibility criteria for 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt
organizations to receive funds at any time:
(1) Have received a letter from the Internal Revenue
Service recognizing the organization as exempt from taxation under
Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and classifying the
entity as a public charity, and provide a certification that the
organization' s tax-exempt status remains in effect both at the time of
application for a grant and at the time of receipt of the grant .
(2) Be operated and organized in a manner that does
not discriminate in the hiring of staff/contractors or the provision of
services on any basis protected from discrimination under the
California Fair Employment and Housing Act and/or the California Unruh
Act .
(3) Have adopted a conflict of interest policy
consistent with the Internal Revenue Service' s recommended conflict of
interest policy published in Appendix A of Form 1023 Instructions
(see http: //www. irs . gov/.ub/irs-pdf/i1023 . .df) or any successor
thereto.
(4) Establish an independent audit committee and/or
retain independent auditors, if required to do so by state or federal
law.
(5) Adhere to generally accepted best practices in the
philanthropic industry in all areas, including but not limited to board
governance, document retention, ethics and whistleblower policies,
executive compensation, investment of funds, fundraising, preparation
- 4 -
of financial statements and/or audits .
(6) Anticipate receiving the majority of its funding
in the year (s) in which it would receive VCF grants from sources other
than the VCF.
(7) Not employ or otherwise provide or promise, at the
time of the application or within the previous 12 months, gifts,
political contributions, income or compensation, directly or
indirectly, to:
1 . Any member of the Grant Committee.
2 . Any member of the Vernon City Council .
3 . Any officer of the City of Vernon.
4 . Any employee or consultant of the City of
Vernon who engages in significant work related
to the VCF.
5. An immediate family member of any of the
above.
a. Immediate family members include spouses
and registered domestic partners,
children, children' s spouses and/or
registered domestic partners, brothers,
brothers-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law,
and all other family members who reside
in the person' s household or are claimed
as dependents.
A person shall be deemed to be provided indirect income or
compensation by a grant applicant if he or she owns or is otherwise
entitled to profits of 10% or more of a firm or entity that receives
income or compensation from the grant applicant . In addition, the
- 5 -
Executive Director shall have the authority to determine that a person
has been provided indirect income or compensation by a grant applicant .
iii . Eligibility criteria for governmental entities:
(1) Be a bona fide governmental entity, or agency
thereof, located entirely or partially within the State of California.
(2) Have policies and procedures to ensure compliance
with all applicable good governance and ethics requirements.
(3) Agree to provide detailed accountings of the use
of grant funds to the Grant Committee.
(b) For scholarship grants :
i . Scholarship applicants must meet all eligibility
standards that are identified below:
(1) Must be a graduating high school senior.
(2) At the time of VCF Scholarship application
submission, achievement of the established Minimum Weighted Grade Point
Average in high school level coursework for trade school or two-year
College applicants; or the established Minimum Weighted Grade Point
Average of in high school level coursework for four-year
College/University applicants.
(3) Provide evidence of acceptance to an accredited
college, university, or trade school. Proof of registration at an
accredited college, university, or trade school is required before any
funds will be disbursed.
(4 ) Proof of residency in the Vernon Area, as defined
in Section 2 . 157 (c) , for at least 12 months (U. S. Citizenship is not
required) ; Proof must be under the applicant' s name, or parent' s name
if the applicant is a dependent student .
/ / /
- 6 -
(5) Demonstration of strong leadership skills and
responsibility (successfully communicated in scholarship application) .
(6) Dedication to extracurricular activities and/or
community involvement .
(7) Not a City of Vernon employee or relative, or
dependent of a City of Vernon employee, Vernon City-appointed official,
or Vernon City-elected official .
(8) Adherence to all standards and requirements set
forth in the scholarship grant administrative guidelines adopted by the
Grant Committee.
SECTION 5 : Section 2 . 166 of Article XX of Chapter 2 of the
Vernon Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows :
In conjunction with the criteria herein, the Grant Committee
may adopt administrative guidelines consistent with the provisions of
this Article for the purpose of interpreting, clarifying, and carrying
out the program criteria established herein. Said guidelines may be
adopted through the normal activities of the Grant Committee if deemed
appropriate and shall always work in tandem with the criteria set forth
in this section.
(a) For direct service grants :
i . The Executive Director and the Grant Committee shall
rank all proposals from eligible grant applicants by using the
following factors:
(1) The extent to which the funds will promote the
health, safety, and welfare of persons residing or working within the
Vernon Area.
(2) The benefit anticipated to accrue to the Vernon
Area.
- 7 -
(3) The extent to which the public will appreciate
that the benefits of the proposed actions were a direct result of the
funding provided by the City of Vernon.
(4) Evidence that the funds will be used by an
organization with sufficient capacity to do the work, and will be used
effectively and without inefficiencies, waste or fraud.
Notwithstanding the above, no grant shall be awarded unless
doing so serves a municipal purpose of the City of Vernon.
(b) For scholarship grants:
i . Award Criteria (not in order of priority)
(1) Financial need
(2) Academic achievement
(3) Community/extracurricular involvement
(4) Leadership at school or in the community
(5) Awards and recognition
(6) Personal and/or family attributes, as demonstrated
through scholarship application process .
SECTION 6: Any ordinance, part of an ordinance, or code
section in conflict with this Ordinance is hereby repealed.
SECTION 7 : Severability. If any chapter, article, section,
subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or word
in this Ordinance or any part thereof is for any reason held to be
unconstitutional or invalid or ineffective by any court of competent
jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity or
effectiveness of the remaining portions of this Ordinance or any part
thereof. The City Council hereby declares that it would have adopted
this Ordinance and each chapter, article, section, subsection,
subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase thereof,
- 8 -
irrespective of the fact that any one or more chapters, articles,
sections, subsections, subdivisions, paragraphs, sentences, clauses,
phrases or words be declared unconstitutional, or invalid, or
ineffective.
SECTION 8 : Book of Ordinances. The City Clerk shall attest
and certify to the adoption of this Ordinance and shall cause this
Ordinance and the City Clerk' s certification to be entered in the Book
of Ordinances of the Council of this City. The City Clerk shall cause
this ordinance to be published or posted within 15 days after its
passage, as required by law.
SECTION 9: Effective Date. This Ordinance shall go into
effect and be in full force and effect at 12 : 01 a.m. on the thirty-
first (31st) day after its passage.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 21st day of April, 2020 .
(/1111 ) ?
Name:
Leticia Lopez
Title : Mayor 4,Mayor Pro- Tit
ATTES :
Of
(�
Lisa Pope, City
APPRO E AS TO FORM:
•
Arnold M. Alva z-Glasman,
Interim City Attorney
- 9 -
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
ss
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES )
I, Lisa Pope , City Clerk of the City of Vernon, do hereby
certify that the foregoing Ordinance, being Ordinance No. 1265 was duly
and regularly introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of
the City of Vernon, held in the City of Vernon on Tuesday, April 7,
2020, and thereafter adopted at a meeting of said City Council held on
Tuesday, April 21, 2020, by the following vote:
AYES : Councilmembers : Mayor Lopez, Mayor
Pro-Tem Ybarra, Davis,
Gonzales, Menke
NOES: Councilmembers : None
ABSENT: Councilmembers : None
And thereafter was duly signed by the Mayor or Mayor Pro-Tem of
the City of Vernon.
Executed this 2(C day of I "ta-1 , 2020, at Vernon, California.
Lisa Pope, Cit Clerk
(SEAL)
- 10 -
STAFF REPORT
City Council Agenda Item Report
Agenda Item No. COV-150-2020
Submitted by. Lisa Pope
Submitting Department: City Clerk
Meeting Date: April 21, 2020
SUBJECT
Second Reading of Ordinance No. 1265 - Fund Allocation, Eligibility, and Criteria for Vernon
CommUNITY Fund Grants
Recommendation:
Conduct second reading and adopt Ordinance No. 1265 amending Article XX of Chapter 2, Sections
2.162 and 2.164 through 2.166, of the Vernon Municipal Code to modify Vernon CommUNiTY Fund grant
fund allocation, eligibility, and criteria.
Background:
On April 7, 2020, the City Council conducted first reading and introduced Ordinance No. 1265, amending
Section 2.162 and Sections 2.164 through 2.166 of Article XX of Chapter 2 of the Vernon Municipal
Code relating to the Vernon CommUNiTY Fund.
Staff requests Council conduct second reading and adopt Ordinance No. 1265.
Fiscal Impact:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
Attachments:
1. Ordinance No. 1265