DATE: September 22, 2020
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Jean M. Rousseau, County Administrative Officer
SUBJECT: Ratification of Agreements with Centro La Familia and Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Ratify the Agreement with Centro La Familia for a housing retention program, previously executed by the County Administrative Officer acting as the Emergency Services Director, effective September 1, 2020 through December 30, 2020, total not to exceed $550,000.
2. Ratify the Agreement with the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation for grants for small businesses, previously executed by the County Administrative Officer acting as Emergency Services Director, effective September 1, 2020 through December 30, 2020, total not to exceed $275,000.
REPORT
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. At the August 18, 2020 Board meeting, your Board approved the development of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CAREs) initiatives to provide relief to individuals and businesses that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (COVID-19). One agreement is for a housing retention program with Centro La Familia (CLF) providing administration and oversight of the program. The other agreement is for small business grants with the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation providing administration and oversight of the program. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not ratify the agreements, these CAREs initiatives would be terminated, which would cause continued detrimental effects of unknown scope to the community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. All funding for these programs will be paid for with CARES Act funding; the County of Fresno received approximately $82 million in Federal CARES Act funding and approximately $16 million in State CARES Act funding. The total CARES Act funds allocated to these two Programs is $850,000 distributed as follows: 1) $550,000 for the Housing Retention Program - $50,000 for program administration and $500,000 for housing retention, and 2) $275,000 for the Small Business Grant Program - $25,000 for program administration and $250,000 for small business grants. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the FY 2020-21 Adopted Budget for the County Administrative Office Disaster Org 3663.
DISCUSSION:
On April 22, 2020 Fresno County received approximately $82 million from the Federal CARES Act and the Governor’s FY 2020-21 Adopted State Budget includes approximately $16 million in CARES Act funding for Fresno County. These funds are authorized to reimburse expenses related to the COVID-19 response including expenditures related to provisions for housing retention and grants to small businesses.
At the August 4, 2020 Board meeting Supervisor Pacheco informed the Board that he met with members of Community Based Organizations, CLF and the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation, to discuss relief programs for individuals and small businesses impacted by COVID-19. At the August 18, 2020 Board meeting, your Board directed staff to work with CLF and the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation to develop agreements for administration of a Housing Retention Program and a Small Business Grant Program respectively. Your Board authorized programming costs of $500,000 for the Housing Retention Program and $250,000 for the Small Business Grant Program. The County Administrative Officer (CAO) allocated an additional 10% of the initiatives’ costs for administration of these Programs.
CLF will review applications and approve housing retention funds of up to $1,500 per individual or $3,000 maximum per household. These funds are available to individuals that have been impacted by COVID-19, meet the application qualifications as required by CARES Act funding, and reside within the unincorporated areas of Fresno County. The Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation will review applications and approve $5,000 in grant funding to small businesses that can demonstrate they have been impacted by COVID-19. Businesses must meet the application qualifications as required by CARES Act funding and be located within the unincorporated areas of Fresno County.
On March 17, 2020, your Board approved a resolution authorizing the CAO to act in the capacity as the Emergency Services Director due to COVID-19. This action allows the CAO to execute agreements necessary in response to COVID-19 and provide for ratification by your Board at a later date. The purpose of the item before your Board today is to ratify the agreements executed by the CAO on September 1, 2020 for CARES Act initiatives as discussed above.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #5, August 18, 2020
BAI #2, March 17, 2020
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement with CLF
On file with Clerk - Agreement with Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation
CAO ANALYST:
Samantha Buck