Back Up_Agenda Item 8 Quality of Life Study Funds for Immigrant Affairs v3 — original pdf

Backup

BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Joint Inclusion Committee Recommendation Number: (20250625-007): Additional Funds for Immigrant Affairs Quality of Life Study WHEREAS, Resolution No. 20140626-049 established the City of Austin as a “Welcoming City” to “celebrate the contributions of members of the immigrant community” and help immigrants feel welcome, secure, protected, free of fear, and free of discrimination. WHEREAS, initial funding for the Commission on Immigrant Affairs’ Quality-of-Life Study pulls the remaining amount from the $1.25 million for Commission Quality-of-Life Studies in the FY 2022–2023 budget; and WHEREAS, the vendor for the Commission on Aging Quality-of-Life study currently underway had to overcome more community mistrust than anticipated to create a trust-based relationship with marginalized older adult groups in order to get their agreement to participate in focus groups and the study; and WHEREAS, this unforeseen expense triggered a request for an additional $65,000 to cover the ongoing vendor engagement with the community groups for the remainder of the study, continuing the trust- based relationship already established by the vendor; and WHEREAS, it was initially anticipated that an additional $65,000 needed for the Aging Quality of Life Study would be covered using the Office of Equity and Inclusion department’s general fund operating budget, however this amount was drawn from the remaining $375,000 allocated in the FY 2022–2023 budget for Commission Quality of Life Studies, resulting in an adjusted balance of $310,000 now available for the Commission on Immigrant Affairs; and WHEREAS, the Commission on Immigrant Affairs has identified a highly qualified vendor and plans to engage this vendor through the exception process rather than through a competitive procurement; and WHEREAS, this vendor has a history of deep cultural competence and generating strong community trust and was prepared to begin as of June 3, 2025 and is willing to proceed at the $310,000 level to meet the June 3rd contract deadline, recognizing that certain items will need to be cut from its full proposal amount of $400,000; and Page 1 of 2 WHEREAS, proceeding with only the $310,000 for the entire study necessitates significant reductions to the study’s core components (either in its qualitative or quantitative methodologies) and would force the removal or limitation of essential safety protocols, vendor time to enlighten participants of the value of the study, and provide language access services; and WHEREAS, these elements are critical for ensuring participant trust, security, and ethical engagement with immigrant, refugee, and foreign-born community members who are facing unprecedented levels of fear, harassment, federal and state violence, institutional disenfranchisement; and WHEREAS, more so than any of the other Quality-of-Life Studies for Joint Inclusion Committee member commissions, this study must: • Overcome the intensified fear of community members to participate, due to an increasingly hostile political climate at both the state and federal levels that include policies targeted at this population, • Ensure heightened safety security requirements for participants and researchers alike, • Address the need for expanded multilingual engagement and interpretation services; and WHEREAS, reducing the study’s scope due to the aforementioned budget constraints risks compromising its integrity, accuracy, and any long-term value in evaluating both the composition and needs of this population. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Joint Inclusion Committee recommends that City Council support the full $400,00 budget for this study, directing the City Manager to instruct the Office of Equity & Inclusion to utilize its 25-26 operating budget to close the $90,000 gap through a contract amendment in a timely manner. This would allow the project to begin on time and ensure the full scope of work is completed with integrity, care, and cultural sensitivity that our immigrant communities deserve. Date of Approval: _____________________________ Record of the vote: (Unanimous on a 7-0 vote, 4-3 vote with names of those voting no listed) Attest: _____________________________________________ (Staff or board member can sign) Page 2 of 2