CMA 2017 #144 · Agenda item attachment · Jun 12 2017

June 6,2017 Louis A. DePasquale City Manager Dear Mr. DePasquale: am writing in response to Council Order #6/ dated December 12, 2016 requesting information regarding the funds raised for the Mayor's Disaster Relief Fund for residents impacted by the December 3, 2016 Fire. Many individuals both in and outside of Cambridge made generous donations to assist the residents of the Affected Properties, by donations given directly to the City, by donations made through a "Go Fund Me" Account established by the City for this purpose, and by or through corporate donations. These donations have made it possible for the Mayor's Disaster Relief Fund to provide distributions to eligible residents of the Affected Properties for losses and damages sustained as a result of the Decembers, 2016 Fire. In collaboration with several departments, the City of Cambridge distributed funds beginning within 72 hours of the fire to those residing in or who had resided in the eighteen (18) affected properties before the fire. The City continued to distribute the remaining funds while adhering to the Mayor's Disaster Relief Fund Guidelines. We are happy to report that 97% of the funds collected have been allocated to those residents affected. The Mayor's Disaster Relief Fund raised $1,239,830 as of May 31, 2017 and $1,203,100 has been allocated to families that were identified in the eighteen (18) affected properties. Funds have been or are being distributed In five rounds. After the initial disbursement on December 5, 2016, the disbursements of funds to families were based on whether they were permanently displaced or temporarily displaced, and depending on household size. Attached are the guidelines that were used for all payments to the families. The remaining funds of $36,730 have been set aside for any additional eligible residents that have not yet been in contact with us. If the funds are not needed, they wi!! be used for future disaster relief. Please feel free to contact me with any additional questions or concerns. Sincerely, Elien Semonoff, Assistant City Manager of Human Services Christina Giacobbe/ Director of Emergency Communications and 911 Elaine Thorne, Senior Mayoral Advisor

CITY OF CAMBRIDGE Mayor's Disaster Relief Account Guidelines for Accessing the Mayors Disaster Relief Account's Funds as Amended on June 7, 2017 Process and Procedures for the December 3,2016 Fire INTRODUCTION: The purpose of the Mayor's Disaster Relief Account (the "Account") is to provide emergency temporary relief for losses sustained by individuals or families who were residents of the eighteen (18) properties that were damaged or destroyed by a catastrophic fire in and around Berkshire Street in the City of Cambridge (the "Affected Properties", as identified below) on December 3/ 2016 (the "12/3/16 Fire".) Many individuals both in and outside of Cambridge have made generous donations to assist the residents of the Affected Properties, by donations given directly to the City, by donations made through a "Go Fund Me" Account established by the City for this purpose, and by or through corporate donations. These donations have made it possible for the Account to provide distributions to eligible residents of the Affected Properties for losses and damage sustained as a result of the 12/3/16 Fire. BACKGROUND: Affected Properties: The following properties were identified and determined by the Cambridge Fire Department to be affected by the 12/3/16 Fire: 26 YORK STREET 30 YORK STREET 50 YORK ST (FORMER CHURCH) 40 YORK ST (6 UNITS) 11-11A-13 PLYMOUTH ST (6 UNITS) 15-17 PLYMOUTH ST (6 UNITS) 19 PLYMOUTH ST (3 UNITS) 25-27 PLYMOUTH ST 31 PLYMOUTH ST (3 UNITS) 35 PLYMOUTH ST 37 PLYMOUTH ST 22-24 BERKSHIRE ST 25-27 BERKSHIRE ST 26 BERKSHIRE ST 28 BERKSHIRE ST 30 BERKSHIRE ST (3 STORY ST) 32-34 BERKSHIRE ST 35-37 BERKSHIRE ST Number of Households in Affected Properties: Seventy (70 households who resided in Affected Properties registered with the Red Cross.) GUIDELINES FOR DISTRIBUTIONS:

Round One: Commenced on Monday, December 5, 2016 (Target and Star Market Gift Cards) Ail heads of households who were registered with the Red Cross were eligible to receive at least one One Hundred ($100) Dollar gift card for Star Market and one One Hundred ($100) Dollar gift card for Target. The following guidelines were followed for the Round One Distribution: • Each individual or head of household was eligible to receive one (1) Star Market gift card and one (1) Target gift card. • Households of four or larger were eligible to receive a maximum of four (4) Star Market cards and four (4) Target cards up to a total value of Eight Hundred ($800) Dollars. Round Two: Commenced on Tuesday/ December 6, 2016 (City of Cambridge Checks) All individuals who filled out a Mayor's Disaster Relief Fund application and were permanently or temporarily displaced from their homes were eligible to receive a check from the City. The following guidetines were followed for the Round Two Distribution: • Each head of household was eligible to receive Six Hundred ($600) Dollars. • Each additional family member was eligible to receive Six Hundred ($600) Dollars with a maximum set at Two Thousand, Four Hundred ($2,400) Dollars per household. Round Three. Commenced on Friday, December 9, 2016 (Century Bank Cards) Residents residing in one of the Affected Properties who were permanently displaced or relocating were eligible to receive Century Bank Debit Cards with a value of Three Thousand ($3/000) Dollars per household with One Thousand ($1,000) Dollars for each additional household member. The debit card could be used for current living expenses and other expenses related to establishing a new household, for furniture and home furnishings; and/or for moving costs associated with establishing a new home. The first set of Century Bank Cards distributed were given to those households that had received the key to their new permanent housing (approximately twenty (20) households.) The second set of Century Sank Cards were distributed to the remaining displaced households who were not permanently relocated and were working with the housing team and/or were still looking for replacement housing (approximately twenty (20) households.) Round Four: Commenced on Monday, January 23, 2017 (City of Cambridge Checks) Definitions: Household. Any resident of an Affected Property that was registered separately with the Red Cross, and/or was treated as a separate Individual or household and was eligible to and/or received previous distributions from the Account was treated as a separate household for purposes of the Round Four Distribution, subject to review by City staff members and Administrators who were assisting the Trustees of the Mayor's Disaster Relief Account based on additional information or changed circumstances.

Permanently Displaced or Relocated Household is a Household that was living in a unit in one of the 18 Affected Properties and was displaced by the fire and (1) was unable to return to the unit; or (2) relocated to a new unit. A Household was considered Permanently Displaced or Relocated for purposes of the Mayor's Disaster Relief Fund Round Four Distribution even if the Household might have been able to return to a unit after January, 2017. Temporarily Displaced Household is a Household that was living in a unit in one of the 18 Affected Properties and was displaced from the property for a temporary period and subsequently returned to the unit. PROCEDURES: Application Deadline: All applications for Round Four Distributions from the Account for the December 3, 2016 fire had to be received by the Trustees of the Mayor's Disaster Relief Account by no later than January 31, 2017. Round Four Distributions: All persons who resided in one of the 18 Affected Properties and who had registered with the Red Cross were eligible to receive Round Four Distributions from the Fund. Round Four Distributions were provided as follows: Permanently Displaced or Relocated Households. Each Permanently Displaced or Relocated Household was eligible to receive a base payment of Nine Thousand ($ 9,000) Dollars, plus Three Thousand ($3,000) Dollars for each additional Household member beyond the first member of the Household. Temporarily Displaced Households. Each Temporarily Displaced Household was eligible to receive a base payment of Three Thousand ($3,000) Dollars plus One Thousand ($1000) Dollars for each additional Household member beyond the first member of the Household. Staff and Administrators Assisting with Round Four Distributions: At the request of the Trustees of the Mayor's Disaster Relief Account, the City Manager designated City Staff and Administrators to assist the Trustees in the administration of the Round Four Distributions. Subject to the approval of the Trustees, the designated City Staff and Administrators worked to ensure that the Round Four Distribution were made in a timely fashion in accordance with the criteria stated above. Subject to the approval of the Trustees/ the designated City Staff and Administrators established reasonable procedures for receiving and reviewing documentation necessary for disbursements/ and collected applications and communicated with applicants for the Round Four Distributions. Once the City Staff had reviewed completed applications, they recommended payment of such compieted applications to the three Administrators designated by the City Manager. Once the Administrators determined that each completed application met the above criteria for eiigibility for a Round Four Distribution, the Administrators recommended that each such completed application be approved for payment by the Trustees.

The Trustees approved all payments of Round Four Distributions. All decisions by the Trustees in connection with the Round Four Distribution are final and not reviewable by any other City office or official. Round Five: Commenced on February 22, 2017 (City of Cambridge Checks) Round Five Distributions: All persons who resided in one of the 18 Affected Properties who had registered with the Red Cross and who were permanently displaced or relocated were eligible to receive Round Five Distributions from the Fund. Round Five Distributions were provided as follows: Permanently Displaced or Relocated Households. Each Permanently Displaced or Relocated Household was eligible to receive a base payment of Two Thousand Five Hundred ($2,500) Dollars, plus Seven Hundred and Fifty ($750) Dollars for each additional Household member beyond the first member of the Household. Staff and Administrators Assisting with Round Five Distributions: At the request of the Trustees of the Mayor's Disaster Relief Account, the City Manager agreed to designate City Staff and Administrators to assist the Trustees in the administration of the Round Five Distributions. Once the City Staff had reviewed completed applications, they recommended payment of such completed application to the three Administrators designated by the City Manager. Once the Administrators determined that each completed application met the above criteria for eligibility for a Round Five Distribution, the Administrators recommended that each such completed application be approved for payment by the Trustees. The Trustees approved all payments of Round Five Distributions. All decisions by the Trustees in connection with the Round Five Distribution are final and not reviewable by any other City office or official. The above Amended Guidelines were approved by majority vote on June 7, 2017. ^^A^_ Mqypr (E. Denise Simmons) M^^p- Assistant City Manager for Fiscal Affairs (David Kale) Assistant City Manager for H^rri^ri Services (Ellen Semonoff)