DATE: January 12, 2021
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Jean M. Rousseau, County Administrative Officer/Emergency Services Director
David Pomaville, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT: FY 2020 Community Power Resilience Allocation
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Retroactively approve and authorize the Director of the Department of Public Health’s execution of the Notification of Subrecipient Allocation Agreement with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for Community Power Resilience Allocation for the period of performance of July 1, 2020 to October 31, 2021 ($206,337);
2. Authorize the Director of the Department of Public Health to sign all corresponding reports, claims and necessary documents as required by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services;
3. Adopt Budget Resolution increasing FY 2020-21 appropriations for Public Health Fund 0800, Subclass 17366, Miscellaneous Public Health Fund Org 1166 in the amount of $206,337 to secure critical equipment and fuel storage for essential facilities during a power outage event (4/5 vote); and
4. Adopt Budget Resolution increasing FY 2020-21 appropriations and estimated revenues for Public Health Org 5620 in the amount of $206,337 (4/5 vote).
REPORT
Approval of the first recommended action will authorize the Director of the Department of Public Health (Director) to retroactively execute the Notification of Subrecipient Allocation Agreement with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) for the Community Power Resiliency Allocation ($206,337). Approval of the second recommended action will authorize the Director to sign all corresponding reports, claims and other necessary documents, as required by CalOES to administer the agreement. Approval of recommended actions three and four will ensure sufficient spending authority in the Department’s Org 5620 FY 2020-21 Adopted Budget. Funds can be expended on eligible activities that support critical infrastructure and resiliency countywide with a particular focus on public safety, vulnerable communities and individuals with access and functional needs. This item pertains to locations in District 5.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There are no viable alternative actions. Should your Board not approve the recommended actions, the Department would not receive these resources to help communities with additional preparedness measures, such as procuring fixed, long term emergency electrical generation equipment, continuity plan development, creating post event reports and public education materials.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
The Notification of Subrecipient Allocation was received October 2, 2020 and is retroactive to July 1, 2020. The State required the agreement to be signed within 20 calendar days upon receipt. The agreement was signed by the Director, contingent upon your Board’s approval, on October 29, 2020 due to Fresno County OES staff working in the Emergency Operations Center during the County’s Creek Fire response. Despite the delay, the County was awarded the full allocation amount of $206,337.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Financial assistance provided through CalOES will provide the County with grant funding ($206,337) to secure critical equipment and fuel storage for essential facilities during a power outage event. No matching funds are required. Funding is expected to be used in FY 2020-21 once a plan is developed with key stakeholders. Recommended actions three and four will ensure sufficient spending authority in the Department’s Org 5620 FY 2020-21 Adopted Budget. There are no pending invoices for the retroactive time period.
DISCUSSION:
On October 25, 2019, as utility-initiated Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) continued to impact residents across California, Governor Gavin Newsom launched the Local Government PSPS Resiliency Program to mitigate the power outage impact on Californians by supporting continuity of operations and efforts to protect public health, safety, and commerce in affected communities. On October 9, 2020, the Community Power Resilience Allocation was released to support additional preparedness measures in response to power outage events.
The grant funding will be used to secure equipment, such as generators and/or generator connections, fuel storage, other backup energy sources, portable vehicle mounted charging stations, portable battery-powered and rechargeable radio repeaters for essential facilities, such as schools, election offices, or food storage reserves and COVID-19 testing sites that are critical to a community’s function during energy interruptions. In addition to backup emergency communications equipment, the grant will be used to develop and conduct plans that better prepare communities for power outage events, including risk assessment for critical infrastructure and equipping resource centers for the public to access. The grants will be administered by the County’s OES.
Funds were allocated to local governments -with all 58 counties receiving up to $300,000, additional funding based on county size and experience with power outages. A total of $13 million will support competitive grants available to incorporated cities and $2.5 million will be available in competitive grants for tribal governments. The County was awarded $206,337.
Key stakeholders including the County’s Departments of Public Works and Planning and Public Health convened to evaluate the most efficient use of up to half of the grant funds ($103,169), which will help local governments address these events and assist their most vulnerable residents. At least half of the grant funds will be used to support one or more of the required resiliency areas: schools, election offices food storage reserves, and/or COVID-19 testing sites.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement with the CalOES
On file with Clerk - Resolution (Org 1166)
On file with Clerk - Resolution (Org 5620)
CAO ANALYST:
Raul Guerra