Common use of Supporting Narrative Clause in Contracts

Supporting Narrative. This is a planning project and while planning itself does not produce actions that improve racial equity or reduce barriers, the plan can address actions that could improve equity and reduce barriers to opportunity. Lincoln County is not particularly diverse racially and the towns and rural areas do not have racial or ethnic communities or neighborhoods. Our primary concerns are supporting the creation of good paying jobs such as those typically represented by unions such as those in the industrial area which the Freight Rail component of this planning project is addressing and providing transit to work sites and health care for those for whom automobile dependence is a barrier (aside from the environmental concerns with individual drivers). The Recipient is planning to coordinate with construction projects resulting from this planning project to incorporate ▇▇▇▇▇- ▇▇▇▇▇ requirements and require proof of contacting women, minority, and veteran owned businesses for bidding opportunities as a prime or sub-contractor. SCHEDULE J LABOR AND WORK 1. Efforts to Support Good-Paying Jobs and Strong Labor Standards The Recipient states that rows marked with “X” in the following table are accurate: The Recipient or a project partner has adopted the use of project labor agreements in the overall delivery and implementation of the Project. (Identify the relevant agreements and describe the scope of activities they cover in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient or a project partner has adopted the use of local and economic hiring preferences in the overall delivery and implementation of the Project, subject to all applicable State and local laws, policies, and procedures. (Describe the relevant provisions in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient or a project partner has adopted the use of registered apprenticeships in the overall delivery and implementation of the Project. (Describe the use of registered apprenticeship in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient or a project partner will provide training and placement programs for underrepresented workers in the overall delivery and implementation of the Project. (Describe the training programs in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient or a project partner will support free and fair choice to join a union in the overall delivery and implementation of the Project by investing in workforce development services offered by labor-management training partnerships or setting expectations for contractors to develop labor-management training programs. (Describe the workforce development services offered by labor-management training partnerships in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient or a project partner will provide supportive services and cash assistance to address systemic barriers to employment to be able to participate and thrive in training and employment, including childcare, emergency cash assistance for items such as tools, work clothing, application fees and other costs of apprenticeship or required pre-employment training, transportation and travel to training and work sites, and services aimed at helping to retain underrepresented groups like mentoring, support groups, and peer networking. (Describe the supportive services and/or cash assistance provided to trainees and employees in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient or a project partner has documented agreements or ordinances in place to hire from certain workforce programs that serve underrepresented groups. (Identify the relevant agreements and describe the scope of activities they cover in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient or a project partner participates in a State/Regional/Local comprehensive plan to promote equal opportunity, including removing barriers to hire and preventing harassment on work sites, and that plan demonstrates action to create an inclusive environment with a commitment to equal opportunity, including: a. affirmative efforts to remove barriers to equal employment opportunity above and beyond complying with Federal law; b. proactive partnerships with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to promote compliance with EO 11246 Equal Employment Opportunity requirements; c. no discriminatory use of criminal background screens and affirmative steps to recruit and include those with former justice involvement, in accordance with the Fair Chance Act and equal opportunity requirements; d. efforts to prevent harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and national origin; e. training on anti-harassment and third-party reporting procedures covering employees and contractors; and f. maintaining robust anti-retaliation measures covering employees and contractors. (Describe the equal opportunity plan in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient has taken other actions related to the Project to create good- paying jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union and incorporate strong labor standards. (Describe those actions in the supporting narrative below.) x The Recipient has not yet taken actions related to the Project to create good- paying jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union and incorporate strong labor standards but, before beginning construction of the Project, will take relevant actions described in schedule B. (Identify the relevant actions from schedule B in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient has not taken actions related to the Project to improving good- paying jobs and strong labor standards and will not take those actions under this award.

Supporting Narrative. This The Project will benefit a Justice40 tract and none of the proposed actions should negatively impact any of the communities tracked by the EJ Screen tool. The Project includes planning for expanding transit opportunities. The reliance on private vehicles is a planning project and while planning itself does not produce actions that improve racial equity or reduce barriers, the plan can address actions that could improve equity and reduce barriers to opportunity. Lincoln County is not particularly diverse racially and the towns and rural areas do not have racial or ethnic communities or neighborhoods. Our primary concerns are supporting the creation of good paying jobs such as those typically represented by unions such as those in the industrial area which the Freight Rail component of this planning project is addressing and providing transit to work sites and health care negative for those for whom automobile dependence is a barrier (aside from the environmental concerns with individual drivers)low incomes and transit would provide an alternative. The Recipient planning for freight movement by rail could reduce negative impacts to air quality tracked by EJ Screen when implemented. The Project supports planning for EV charging as that is planning to coordinate with construction projects resulting from this planning project to incorporate ▇▇▇▇▇- ▇▇▇▇▇ requirements and require proof one of contacting women, minority, and veteran owned businesses for bidding opportunities as a prime or sub-contractorthe Project’s primary focus areas. SCHEDULE J LABOR I RACIAL EQUITY AND WORKBARRIERS TO OPPORTUNITY 1. Efforts to Support Good-Paying Jobs Improve Racial Equity and Strong Labor Standards Reduce Barriers to Opportunity. The Recipient states that rows marked with “X” in the following table are accurate: The Recipient or a project partner A racial equity impact analysis has adopted the use of project labor agreements in the overall delivery and implementation of been completed for the Project. (Identify the relevant agreements and a report on that analysis or, if no report was produced, describe the scope of activities they cover analysis and its results in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient or a project partner has adopted the use of local an equity and economic hiring preferences in the overall delivery and implementation of the Projectinclusion program/plan or has otherwise instituted equity-focused policies related to project procurement, subject material sourcing, construction, inspection, hiring, or other activities designed to all applicable State and local laws, policies, and procedures. (Describe the relevant provisions in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient or a project partner has adopted the use of registered apprenticeships ensure racial equity in the overall delivery and implementation of the Project. (Describe Identify the use of registered apprenticeship relevant programs, plans, or policies in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient Project includes physical-barrier-mitigating land bridges, caps, lids, linear parks, and multimodal mobility investments that either redress past barriers to opportunity or a project partner will provide training that proactively create new connections and placement programs opportunities for underrepresented workers in the overall delivery and implementation of the Projectunderserved communities that are underserved by transportation. (Describe Identify the training programs relevant investments in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient Project includes new or a project partner will support free improved walking, biking, and fair choice to join a union in rolling access for individuals with disabilities, especially access that reverses the overall delivery disproportional impacts of crashes on people of color and implementation of the Project by investing in workforce development services offered by labor-management training partnerships or setting expectations for contractors to develop labor-management training programsmitigates neighborhood bifurcation. (Describe Identify the workforce development services offered by labor-management training partnerships new or improved access in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient Project includes new or a project partner will provide supportive services improved freight access to underserved communities to increase access to goods and cash assistance to address systemic barriers to employment to be able to participate and thrive in training and employment, including childcare, emergency cash assistance job opportunities for items such as tools, work clothing, application fees and other costs of apprenticeship or required pre-employment training, transportation and travel to training and work sites, and services aimed at helping to retain underrepresented groups like mentoring, support groups, and peer networking. (Describe the supportive services and/or cash assistance provided to trainees and employees in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient or a project partner has documented agreements or ordinances in place to hire from certain workforce programs that serve underrepresented groupsthose underserved communities. (Identify the relevant agreements and describe the scope of activities they cover in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient new or a project partner participates in a State/Regional/Local comprehensive plan to promote equal opportunity, including removing barriers to hire and preventing harassment on work sites, and that plan demonstrates action to create an inclusive environment with a commitment to equal opportunity, including: a. affirmative efforts to remove barriers to equal employment opportunity above and beyond complying with Federal law; b. proactive partnerships with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to promote compliance with EO 11246 Equal Employment Opportunity requirements; c. no discriminatory use of criminal background screens and affirmative steps to recruit and include those with former justice involvement, in accordance with the Fair Chance Act and equal opportunity requirements; d. efforts to prevent harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and national origin; e. training on anti-harassment and third-party reporting procedures covering employees and contractors; and f. maintaining robust anti-retaliation measures covering employees and contractors. (Describe the equal opportunity plan improved access in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient has taken other actions related to the Project to create good- paying jobs with the free improve racial equity and fair choice reduce barriers to join a union and incorporate strong labor standardsopportunity. (Describe those actions in the supporting narrative below.) x The Recipient has not yet taken actions related to the Project to create good- paying jobs with the free improve racial equity and fair choice reduce barriers to join a union and incorporate strong labor standards opportunity but, before beginning construction of the Project, will take relevant actions described in schedule B. (Identify the relevant actions from schedule B in the supporting narrative below.) The Recipient has not taken actions related to the Project to improving good- paying jobs improve racial equity and strong labor standards reduce barriers to opportunity and will not take those actions under this award.