To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): County Administrator’s Office
Staff Name and Phone Number: Yvonne Shu and Inez Hernandez, 565-2431
Vote Requirement: Informational Only
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Quarterly County Grant Program Update - Fourth Quarter 2024
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Receive 2024 fourth quarter reports on departmental grant efforts.
end
Executive Summary:
The County’s 2021-2026 Strategic Plan’s Organizational Excellence pillar includes an objective to “secure a total of $60 million in grant funding by 2026 for strategic priorities, including technology tools, climate resiliency, and other capital projects”. The County Administrator’s Office staff coordinates and provides quarterly updates to the Board of Supervisors on grant activities that accomplish this Strategic Objective and support County priorities.
This report covers grant activity from October through December 2024. Total grant seeking opportunities in this quarter amounts to $105,788,261, comprising $69,470,606 in awarded funds, and $36,317,655 in applications submitted and pending notification. Departments will return to your Board as needed to seek any necessary grant-related approvals.
Discussion:
Since implementation of the County’s Strategic Plan, county departments and agencies have secured the $60 million objective target outlined in the Strategic Plan Organizational Excellence pillar. However, staff will continue to provide quarterly updates on grant activity to the Board and the public.
Attachment A provides complete detailed information on grant activity in the reporting quarter. Attachment B is a summary of grant applications applied for, awarded or are pending notification.
New activity in the fourth quarter is summarized as follows:
Ag Preservation & Open Space District (APOSD)
§ Monitoring three pre-applications submitted in March 2024 for the Wildlife Conservation Board Grant approval and subsequent invitation to submit full applications.
o Project name and location: South Sonoma Mountain (Rodgers Creek North, Rodgers Creek South, and Skyline)
§ Researched the following grants and determined APOSD does not have an eligible project at this time.
o Forest Health Research
o Forest Health Grants
§ Researching the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant. Project name and location: TBD.
§ Applying for four pre-applications for the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program for $7 million for the South Sonoma Mountain project (Rodgers Creek North, Rodgers Creek South, Skyline Gove
County Administrator’s Office - Climate Action and Resiliency
§ Applied for the Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant for $2.4 million in total and $1,600 for Community Partners for Resilience in Sonoma County, which will, led by local community-based organizations, identify localized climate resilience challenges and solutions in four disadvantaged areas of Sonoma County. Monitoring the US Department of Transportation application submitted in August 2024 for the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program. This grant was created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to strategically purchase and deploy publicly accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the county. Amount applied for $16,545.225.
Department of Emergency Management (DEM)
§ Applied for the California Housing and Community Development for $444,440 Federal grant for the Sonoma County Multi-Jurisdictional Emergency Transportation Gap Analysis and Plan.
§ Applied for the following California Housing and Community Development grants:
• $421,990 for the Sonoma County Access and Functional Needs Communications Gap Analysis and Feasibility Study.
• $499,400 for the Sonoma County Access and Functional Needs Communication Plan Implementation.
Department of Health Services (DHS)
§ Staff submitted the Bond Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) Round 1 Launch Ready grant application for $67,702,227. An updated resolution increasing the application amount from $57 million to $67.7 million is included as part of today’s agenda as item 2025-0054. The grant project is to develop a campus at 1430 Neotomas Drive, Santa Rosa, CA, to provide appropriate level of care treatment to our most vulnerable individuals struggling with severe mental illness; those who are LPS conserved. The project intends to co-locate the SUD residential facility next door to the Orenda Detox Center. Co-locating detox services, SUD residential services, and the four Mental Health Rehabilitation Centers on one campus would provide multiple levels of care on the continuum.
Economic Development Collaborative (EDC)
§ Awarded $62,959 for State-Local Partners from California Arts Council, which will provide general operating support for Creative Sonoma to serve the county’s creative community, its residents, and visitors with programs including grants, professional development. Public art, arts education activities, and other special initiatives, including Poetry Out Loud.
§ Awarded $50,000 to the North Bay North Coast Broadband Consortium for Local - Government Best Practices Learning Community from California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF), which will support digital equity and adoption initiatives, including stakeholder engagement and outreach
Human Services Department (HSD)
§ Awarded $265,940 for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA Section 5310) for Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program - Operating Assistance.
Permit Sonoma
§ Permit Sonoma had no new grant activity for the reporting period.
§ Grants completed & closed: Phase 1 for the Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project, FEMA HMGP grant, totaling $985,000
Regional Parks
§ Awarded $950,000 Coastal Program grant for the Kashia Reserve and Stewarts point Trail Construction.
§ Applied for $550,000 for the Priority Conservation Area grant for the Sonoma Schellville Trail Design.
§ Researching $8,000,000 for the Land Acquisition program from Wildlife Conservation Board for Monte Rio Redwoods Expansion.
Sonoma Public Infrastructure
§ Researching $13,502,720 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant for the Connecting Cloverdale to the Bay, Cloverdale project.
§ Applied for $1,855,000 Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grant for the Airport Compost Facility project.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Organizational Excellence
Goal: Goal 4: Seek out grant funding to enhance programs and improve infrastructure
Objective: Objective 1: Secure a total of $60 million in grant funding by 2026 for strategic priorities, including technology tools, climate resiliency, and other capital projects.
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
The Board has received quarterly updates on departmental grant activity since April 2023.
On March 2, 2021, the Board adopted the Sonoma County Strategic Plan, which established the priority of securing $60 million in grant funding by 2026.
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
There are no fiscal impacts associated with this quarterly report. However, the grant activity efforts described in the report increase revenue capacity to meet County priorities.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
There are no staffing impacts associated with this informational report, but any successful grant award will require staff capacity for grant management and project execution
Attachments:
Attachment A: Consolidated Grant Reports
Attachment B: Grant Activity Summary
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None