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88-1652 . .�-< WHITE - CI�V CLERK COLIf1C11 PfNW -•FINANCE CITY O�' SAINT PAUL �' ��oZ CANARV -OEPARTMENT � BI.UE -MAYOR . Fll@ NO. "- • Or ndnce o=a� o . f .�� Presented By ' � , Re rred To�� � ommittee: Date Out of Committee By Date An Administrative Ordinance establishing the policy of the City of Saint Paul regarding the providing of child care and setting forth goals for the City. The Council of the City of Saint Paul Does Ordain: Section 1 The City of Saint Paul will take steps to insure that children w i th i n the C i ty are not den i ed good ch i 1 d care because of 1 ow f ami 1 y income. a. The City will work with corporations, foundations, non-profit organizations and other governmental bodies to make child care in the City of Saint Paul more affordable to low-income residents. b. The City will take the lead �role in joining with corporations, foundations, non-profit organizations and other governmental bodies to establish a "Child Care Trust Fund" to be administered by the Child Care Council which shall be a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organizat..ion to provide subsidies for child care to eligible low-income residents of the City as a means of last resort when other child care funding is unavailable. c. The initial funding goal for the Child Care Trust Fund from all public and private sources is approximately $1 ,000,000. Interest income or other available funds from the Fund will be used to serve eligible families residing in the City who are not currently receiving funding from the sliding fee COUNCIL MEMBERS Yeas Nays Requested by Department of: Dimond �� In Favor co�� xQcamao Scheibel Against BY Sonnen Wilson Form p roved by City Att rney Adopted by Council: Date Certified Passed by Council Secretary By b�s � By Approved by Mayor: Date App ed by Mayo for Submission to Council , By BY ��`���'' �;, �7(���' program funded by the State of Minnesota or other governmental assistance programs, and to serve eligible neighborhood Child Care Initiatives. Every good faith effort will be made to allocate up to one half of the income from the fund to support family Child Care Program initiatives. In an effort to demonstrate its commitment to the Child Care Trust Fund and to encourage additional contributions from other private, non-profit, and governmental sources, the City may, to the extent permitted by law and within its discretion, set aside a substantial amount of funds from its federally funded Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. These funds will be used as a pledge to the Child Care Trust Fund to provide assistance on a reimbursement basis as allowed in the CDBG Program. In the event that additional contributions are suceessfully obtained from other private and governmental prganizations, the City Council may, in its discretion, make additional contributions to the Trust Fund. The City will also explore additional innovative funding sources for the Child Care Trust Fund. d. The City of Saint Paul shall adopt as part of the City's Legislative Program as a top priority the lobbying of the State Legislature for the purpose of increasing the funding for the sliding fee child care program to meet the needa of eligible residents of the City of Saint Paul . e. The City of Saint Paul will support federal legislation that will allow persons on social security to keep additional income earned as a family child care provider without reducing their social security benefits. Section 2 The City of Saint Paul will play a role in increasing the number and variety of child care opportunities within the city. a. The City will establish a program to assist in funding and promoting Child Care Partnership Initiatives which increase child care options now in short supply, such as infant, drop in, sick, and extended day and family Child Care programs where full funding for the programs is not available from other sources. b. This Child Care Partnership initiative program will be patterned after the Neighborhood Partnership Program under which neighborhoods will submit proposals for projects appropriate for the residents, and would be required to provide some form of matching contributions for the Child Care Trust funds being requested. 2 � . � � . - �. �. . -. . � �-�i��-�, ,r�o�' c. A source of City funding for such Child Care Partnership initiatives will be a designated portion of the interest income or other available funds of the Child Care Trust Fund outlined in section 1 . d. The City will designate appropriate staff to provide technical assistanee to neighborhood groups in the areas of writing grant proposals to foundations, setting up non-profit organizations, and other necesaary steps for establishing Child Care Partnership Initiatives. e. The City will expand its efforts to assist new and existing child care providers with finding funding for renovations needed to meet licensing requirements. ( 1 ) The City will use its residential rehabilitation funds to help child care providers meet licensing requirements. (2) The City will modify its program guidelines so that those child care providers who do not meet income criteria but who serve a sufficient number of low-income children for a specified number of years also qualify for City assistance. (3 ) The City will assiat potential child care providers seeking small Business Administration (3BA) ( 7) (a) Loan Guarantees, loans from the Community Issues Conaortium, St. Paul Enterprise Development Company, and municipal bonds, where appropriate. ( 4) The City will request the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA� of the City of Saint Paul to make available through its Development Fund loan guarantees and low-interest 20-year deferred loans to eligible child care providers needing such assistance. (5 ) The City will take the initiative to work with other public bodies and community agencies to coordinate existing funding sources, such as those identified in section 2, as well as those of other governmental or private organizations, to make child care start up and improvement funds more readily available and accessible to child care providers . (6j The City will give preference in awarding start up and improvement funding to ehild care centera which are accredited or agree to seek accreditation from the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs which is administered by the National Association for the Education of Young children or who clearly meet standards prerequisite to receiving accreditation from this agency, and to family day care providers who are accredited or 3 . , . /G�"�- � �� � i7��9 agree to seek accreditation from a recognized family day care accreditation system or who meet standards prerequisite to receiving such accreditation from such agencies. f. The city will provide information and assistance to child care providera so they can better use City resources to improve the quality of their programs . In addition, the City will make City resources for children and families more accessible for parents who work full time during the week. ( 1 ) The Public Health Division will prioritize its availability of services to allow the provision of services to children, such as dental clinics on Saturdays . (2) The Public Health Division will provide training opportunities for child care center staff and family care providers on topics such as "Preventing the 3pread of Disease" and "Accident Prevention" . ( 3 ) The Saint Paul Public Libraries will allow family child care providers to obtain a group card for their children, just as child care centers are currently allowed to do. (4) The Saint Paul Public Librariea shall insure that the City' s collection of child care resource books is complete and readily available to providers and users of child care services. ( 5 ) The City's Division of Parks and Recreation will structure its priorities to provide athletic and non- athletic activity programming on evenings and weekends so that full time working parents can participate or attend programs with their children. (6) The Division of Parks and Recreation will work in coordination with the 3chool District's Community Education Program to provide evening programming for younger children so that parents can attend community education programs while having activities available for children. (? ) The Division of Parks and Recreation will work with neighborhood and other interested organizations to make necessary capital improvements to city-owned facilities that may be used for child care programs . {8) The Public Health Division will assist day care progra�s with providing drug-free education. 4 . : . : . ��,��,� � � �r��q g. The City will help meet the growing demand for downtown child care and will assist providers interested in establishing downtown child care by eliminating some major barriers facing those child care providers. ( 1 ) The City will provide incentives to developers for the provision of child care space in buildings within the downtown distriet, such that developers who ineorporate child care space in new or renovated buildings in the downtown district will get "bonus square footage" over that square footage usually allowed within the particular zoning di�trict. (2 ) The City will designate loading zones or special parking meter enforcement areas in front of downtown district child care facilities as deemed necessary. ( 3 ) The City will consider the establishment of play areas equipped for child care when planning or giving approval for use of outdoor space in the downtown district. (4) The City will maintain the Zoning Code to allow industrially-zoned child care centers to serve employees of more than one company in the area. Section 3 The City will take active steps to raise the visibility of child care needs and priority for child care in City public policy, community discussion and government operation. a. The City will develop clear staff responsibility to coordinate the City initiatives for improved child care in the City and will, consistent with Civil Service requirements, establish within the City's Department of Community Services a position of child care coordinator who will be devoted fuil time to the analysis of child care issues and coordination of efforts supporting child care in the City. The duties of the child care coordinator may include but not be limited to the following: ( 1 ) Oversee fund raising efforts and grant writing for the Child Care Trust Fund to subsidize child care for low income families; (2) Work with the Department of Community Services to improve City resources for child care providers and families with working parents ; ( 3 ) Raise funds for and oversee the effort to promote neighborhood child care initiatives; 5 : . : . . : . �,,..v�,����. � � �7Go9 (4) Act as a liaison to the School District to aid in its effort to expand its role in the care of school age children; ( 5) Act as a liaison to the State and County to identify and resolve child care issues that involve more than one governmental level; {6) Provide appropriate staff to any on going City-related child care efforts ; (? ) Plan and coordinate an annual "Kids Day" ; (8) Plan and coordinate activities to promote the "Year of the Child" ; (9 ) Prepare an annual report to the Mayor and the City Council on the progress the City has made in implementing the City's child care policy. b. The City will take the lead role in establishing a Child Care Council which will review changing child care needs in Saint Paul , the governmental programs to meet child care needs, advise in the implementation of the City's and other governmental entities' child care policies, administer the Child Care Trust Fund and recommend new policy directions on child care as necessary. The Child Care Council will consiat of at least two elected officials of the City, County, State Legislature and School District who are designated as representatives to this Council by the respective governmental units. The Child Care Council will have an equal number of non-elected citizens appointed through the City's open appointment process by the Mayor and approved bg the City Council . c. The city will establish a "Child Care Hot Line" , if possible with the number 298-KIDS, which City residents may call to obtain information about child care availabilitp and resources within the City. To provide this referral service, the City will contraet with an independent non-profit child care referral service which meets the standards and criteria for a "Resource and Referral Programs" as provided for bq Minnesota Statutes 1988, sections 245 .83-245.84 . The City's Child Care Coordinator shall prepare guidelines for the implementation of the Child Care Hot Line. These guidelines shall be adopted by the City Council by resolution before they are implemented. d. The City will sponsor an annual "Kids Day" with positive activities for children which will be beginning in October 1989 and will be promoted with the City seeking arrangements with appropriate organizations to provide for free museum 6 , � � - , -. , ., . . - C��,`d`�� ,, � /�/�a9 admissions, free bus rides and other free programs to children 16 and under. e. The City's budget process will be amended to require that every City department include a "family-impact" statement in their annual budget submisaions which will address how the budget provides for children's initiatives and its impact on families with children in the City. f. The City will declare 1989 as the "Year of the Child" in the City of Saint Paul to commemorate the City's renewed commitment to families with children and beginning of implementation of the City's new Child Care Policy. Section 4 In accordance with all applicable law the City will implement personnel policies to become a national model as an employer in meeting the child care needs of City employees. a. On Site Child Care: To meet the growing general demand for downtown child care among private employees and to meet the child care needs of public employeea the city will take the lead role in working with the City, County and State offices located in downtown Saint Paul to conduct a feasibility study to determine whether an on-site child care center ahould be established during the course of the City Hall Court House renovation and construction of the new Annex Building. Such an on-site child care center would be required to financially self sustaining based on revenues from fees charged to those receiving child care servicea provided by the center. The child care center would be available to City, County and 3tate employees as well as employees of other employers in the downtown area. b. Use of Sick Leave for Child Care: To meet the needs of City employees with young children, the City will negotiate with appropriate employee bargaining representatives to revise personnel policies by January 1 , 1989 so that City employees can without restriction use accumulated sick leave when a household member is sick or disabled. This policy should enable city employees with young children to adequately care for their children on a day-to-day basis without creating undue financial hardship or operating as an adverse factor in the employee's career development with the City. c. Flexible Working Arrangements: The City will negotiate with appropriate employee bargaining representatives so a8 to revise its personnel policies by January 1 , 1989 to increase the flexibility of working arrangements for employees to provide child care. These revisions shall include the addition or expansion of flex-time, job sharing, part-time as 7 � . .. ' - � . . • . .• . �/' / t+ // �✓�\ � ` ' ' ' /�1�4 q established and approved employment schedules. the City Personnel Department shall actively promote these flexible working arrangements as valid and acceptable work schedule options for all City employees . d. Cafeteria Style Benefit Package: The City will revise its personnel policies by January 1 , 1989 to establish and offer "cafeteria" style benefit packages during the course of contract negotiations with collective bargaining units. e. Guaranteed One-Year Leave of Absence: The City will revise its personnel policies by January 1 , 1989 and will negotiate with appropriate empioyee bargaining representatives so as to offer a guaranteed minimum one-year unpaid leave of absence for parental care responsibilitiea, and to permit up to a two- year unpaid leave of absence on a discretionary basis to be determined by the department. f. The Child Care Coordinator will serve as a child care contact person for City employees to provide them with child care information and information on child care programs and resources available to City employees. g. The City will establish by January 1 , 1989 a child care vendor program for City employees . This program will provide city employees with discounts on child care costs at participating child care centers and family child care providers with which the City has signed agreements. These discounts will be offered by the participating child care providers at no additional cost to the City. h. The City will make available to City employees by January 1 , 1989 a Salary Redirection Plan or "Voucher Program" as a voluntary program subject to the regulations of the Federal Internal Revenue Code and which would allow participating employees to redirect a portion of their salary (up to a maximum of $5,000 annually) to child care expenses. 8 e : A � . ..;5. ... �v , � , ��. .r.�s � •. , .r. : y . .�. � � k+a^ � . •� _ : . �st � � 1� -l.�'- :� i�} �2r,c] ~ ��. - /D_�ZG'_�� --� A' ,� � , .� .� °3rc1 /D M1:�S�� - <.1�,ted �j_���' .,, _�.; . r.� � . . ?:j ` "�� . � ;, � 5,� i .�s e � .'� '� J _� A'M..�. � .. �Vay'rJ �i �7'",�''`, � z �' G;, �.�- J�ur�. ��;� g �. ,, `��. ��, DIMODID ., � . f �. � �, 4 ��t;�, � ,:�.� ' r°� � ��(��/ " ' �" . • '> �� . � �I� ;:e"< �. ,�� � :S r - ...<+° .. � ' 'T� ' � ..�. . . . ... .., ,. , RE,i"I'MAN . ' SONNII�T WILSON MR. PRESIDENT, SCHEIBEL wr�� - c�,�v CLERK Council G PI �- FINANCE CANARV -DEPARTMENT GITY OF SAINT PAUL �/ BLUE -MAVOR File NO. �v /�� • Z nCe Ordinance N�. � " a � Presented B ° c Ref red To Committee: Date Out of Committee By Date Section 5 This administrative ordinance shall take effect and be in force thirty days from and after its passage, approval and publication. _ COUNCIL MEMBERS Yeas Nays Requested by Department of: Dimond �� In Favor co�� xea�a Scheibel � Against By Sonnen Wilson Adopted by Council: Date �O�f � ��� Form A ved by City Attorn CertiEied P d un '1 S tar BY �� By App ved y Mayor• Dat N�r — `� �� Appro e y Mayor for Submission to Council y BY ���a� ._ la�$ , " y C?,��--��.�� �t**o, GITY OF SAINT PAUL ���09' ,�"�~ '�, OFFICE OF THE MAYOR � 'iit iii n C � � 347 CITY HALL .... SA[NT PAUL, MINNESOTA 55102 GEORGE LATIMER ' (612) 298-4323 MAYOR october a�, i98s R�CEIVEb OCT 311988 Council President James Scheibel and Members of the Saint Paul city council CITY CI.ERK Seventh Floor, City Hall Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102 Dear Councilmembers: Next Tuesday, November 1, you will be considering final adoption of an ordinance regarding the provision of child care. As you know, I strongly support the concept of a child care program for the City and I believe that the City should be considerate of the child care needs of our citizens and our employees. In August, we put forth the idea. of a child care program for our City and, in addition, proposed the creation of a child care coordinator position in the 1989 budget you have approved. Even witfi my strong support for the basic direction that you are heading, I do have some problems with the way the proposed ordinance handles changes in personnel benefits. Provisions in the ordinance allowing for the consideration of child care needs of City employees are employment benefits and are subject to the collective bargaining process. I believe it is a mistake to delete these items from the bargaining process and to grant them unilaterally through a city ordinance. To do so is not in the best interests of the City or its citizens. If there is a cost generated by the implementation of the ordinance in this area, it is critical that we ascertain that cost before taking action. I have no knowledge of any study that has been conducted that indicates the estimated costs of these benefits and their budgetary impact. Of course, we all want to provide our employees with a package of reasonable benefits such as competitive wages, health care coverage, sick leave compensation, vacation and others, possibly even including day care. All of these benefits cost money and are periodically negotiated with the unions involved in order to assure that we have a reasonable cost-effective package of benefits for our City employees. If by acting on the proposed ordinance in its present form we take benefits off o,f the bargaining table, the questions must be 6�46 . .. � � ^ �'��-i�-� ` � Saint Paul City Councilmembers October 27, 1988 . /�6a9 Page Two answered--what other benefits will be reduced to compensate or where will the additional fund$ come from to pay for the costs of the new benefit that was granted? , Another element that must be considered is the close working relationship that exists between the City and the Saint Paul School District. I feel that the School District administration and the School Board should be partners in this process and their input considered prior to adopting an ordinance. In summary, while I wholeheartedly support the overall thrust of the child care program and reasonable benefits for our City employees, I do believe the interests of all would be better served if we closely re-look at the issues raised above. Very truly yours, e ge Latimer � M y r GL:drm cc: Dr. David Bennett M