The item was heard for the first time by the Finance Committee on June 26, 2017. Deputy Public Denender Ali Saidi give an update on the proposal under review and indicated the East Bay Community Foundation might provide funding for plan design. The proposal prepared and presented to the Finance Committee on August 16, 2017, by the Contra Costa Immigrant Rights Alliance is Attachment A. The original proposal submitted to the Board of Supervisors on May 9, 2017 is Attachment B.
The proposal requests that the Board of Supervisors authorize the Office of the Public Defender to establish Stand Together CoCo as a pilot project. The requested allocation is $500,000 in FY 17/18 funding to support operations in the January-June 2018 first phase, with a further commitment that the County will provide $500,000 in annual support in each of fiscal years 2018-19 and 2019-20. Working with key local partners, Stand Together CoCo will then use this commitment to generate funding from other public and private sources.
The Finance Committee accepted the report as presented and directed staff to forward the item to the full Board of Supervisors for discussion. Finance Committee support the proposal as presented with the condition that all proposed matching funds are secured by the Public Defender's Office from private donors. The Committee directed the Public Defender to attend the Board meeting for the discussion.
Attachment C is a letter from the Public Defender regarding private foundations' funding commitments to support Stand Together CoCo (Attachment D came in after this letter was written). Attachments D through I are letters of funding commitment and intention totaling $585,000:
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Richmond Community Foundation - $10,000 (Letter of Intention)
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Y & H Soda Foundation - $275,000 (Letter of Commitment)
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San Francisco Foundation - $100,000 (Letter of Commitment)
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California Endowment - $100,000 (Letter of Intention)
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East Bay Community Foundation - $50,000 (Letter of Commitment)
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Firedoll Foundation - $50,000 (Letter of Commitment)
Status quo regarding immigrants rights in Contra Costa.
Speakers: Oscar Flores, CC Racial Justice Coalition; Debra Bernstein, Monument Impact; Blanca Collin, Monument Impact; Raquel Ortega, CC Immigrant Rights Alliance (CCIRA); David Brazil, FARE; Nicole Zapata, East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE); Christopher Martinez, resident of Richmond; Reverend Deborah Lee, MICA;, resident of Walnut Creek; Melvin Willis, Richmond City Council; Edith Pastrano, ACCE; Nancy Ybarra, resident of Richmond; Rose Strogatz, Orinda Progressive Action Alliance; Mariana Moore, Ensuring Opportunity Campaign.
Written commentary provided by (attached): Claudia Velasco, Catholic Diocese of Oakland; Reverend Will McGarvey; Mariana Moore, Ensuring Opportunity Campaign
ACCEPTED a report on funding an immigrants rights program in Contra Cost; AUTHORIZED the Office of the Public Defender to establish Stand Together CoCo as a pilot project, funded from the AB109 Reserve Fund; and DIRECTED staff to return this matter to the full Board in April 2018.