To: Board of Supervisors, County of Sonoma
Department or Agency Name(s): Emergency Management
Staff Name and Phone Number: Chris Godley / 565-1152
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Update on Community Emergency Resilience Centers Grant Project and Proposed Locations Review
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Receive staff report on development of Community Emergency Resilience Centers (CERC) funded by the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development, Community Development Block Grant - Mitigation - Resilient Infrastructure Program.
B) Review and provide direction to staff within grant parameters regarding proposed locations of the initial three Community Emergency Resilience Centers.
end
Executive Summary:
Staff will provide an update on the development of Community Emergency Resilience Centers (CERCs) funded by the Community Development Block Grant - Mitigation - Resilient Infrastructure Program (CDBG-MIT-RIP) and receive Board direction regarding locations of the initial three facilities.
The goal of this grant program is to establish a cost-effective, distributed network of dedicated, community-based logistics and operational support resources that can support dynamic community-level disaster response for the Sonoma Operational Area.
Each steel (‘Class S’) building will provide approximately 3,500 square feet of warehouse space as well as a small, ADA-compliant office and restroom. Depending on location, each facility may support several disaster preparedness and response missions, including storage of disaster response equipment/supplies and supporting community preparedness training programs.
In assessing potential CERC locations, staff developed site selection criteria that reflect both the requirements set forth by the grant as well as operational considerations developed by staff. In the application, staff proposed the following locations for the initial three CERCs:
1. Sonoma Veteran’s Building property. 126 1st Street W, Sonoma, CA
2. County Administrative Center. North of, and adjacent to, 2615 Paulin Drive, Santa Rosa, CA
3. Santa Rosa Veteran’s Building property. 1351 Maple Ave, Santa Rosa, CA
4. Alternate 1: Forestville Road Maintenance Yard. 6200 Packing House Road, Forestville, CA
5. Alternate 2: Petaluma Veteran’s Building property. 1094 Petaluma Blvd S, Petaluma, CA
However, based on additional analysis, staff recommend revising the grant application to develop the Forestville Road Maintenance Yard in lieu of the Santa Rosa Veteran’s Building location. This would provide greater community access and operational responsiveness in support of West County as well as reduce the concentration of resources in the central part of the County. Therefore, the final recommended sites are:
1. Sonoma Veteran’s Building property. 126 1st Street W, Sonoma, CA
2. County Administrative Center. North of, and adjacent to, 2615 Paulin Drive, Santa Rosa, CA
3. Forestville Road Maintenance Yard. 6200 Packing House Road, Forestville, CA
Staff will incorporate Board direction within the grant parameters regarding CERC locations in project planning and related grant program administration.
Discussion:
Community Emergency Resilience Centers (CERCs) - Community Development Block Grant Mitigation - Resilient Infrastructure Program (CDBG-MIT-RIP) Summary
The October 2017 Sonoma Complex Fires event profoundly impacted Sonoma County communities and focused attention the County’s community-level disaster response capabilities and resources. In support of the County’s Strategic Plan, the Department of Emergency Management has been working to explore the potential to use federal grant funds to develop enduring community-level disaster resilience facilities, with the long-term goal being development of community-centric disaster logistics and operations facilities in each of five geographic districts.
In December 2020, the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) submitted a Notice of Interest (NOI) for the Community Development Block Grant - Mitigation Resilient Infrastructure Program administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development. On October 29, 2021, DEM received the $7,172,612 award notification and subsequently submitted a complete application on January 20, 2022. This grant program incorporates relatively specific and narrow grant requirements, such as having to benefit the grant-defined Most Impacted and Distressed area and servicing Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-defined Low to Moderate Income service areas. As part of the grant application, the County was required to identify specific sites and alternate sites that met this grant criterion. The amount awarded in the grant will provide for the construction of three of the five proposed CERC facilities. DEM is now seeking BOS approval of the initial three sites proposed in alignment with the grant requirements.
The goal of CERCs under this grant program is to establish a cost-effective, distributed network of dedicated, community-based, logistics and operational support facilities and resources that can support dynamic community-level disaster response for the Sonoma Operational Area. The facilities will house immediate-need disaster response supplies/equipment, potentially serve as critical incident management and support sites and support community disaster preparedness engagement and readiness. This network of facilities will maximize the ability to support and deploy equipment and supplies currently stored in non-optimal locations and conditions. The CERCs represent an important first step towards achieving the long-term goal of developing geographically optimal County community service centers.
Depending on location, each facility may support any combination of the following potential missions:
1. Distributed and secure critical response equipment storage and staging (ex. emergency shelter equipment and supplies)
2. Resource center for residents - information or electrical device charging center
3. Emergency incident management support (Incident Command Post, responder rehabilitation)
4. Temporary Evacuation Assembly Point
5. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training/support
6. Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Customer Resource Center
7. Emergency congregate shelter support
8. Emergency animal shelter
9. Cybersecurity / business continuity resource sites
10. Emergency Commodity Point of Distribution
11. High-value, strategic asset storage/maintenance (ex. auxiliary antenna trailer)
12. Community wireless broadband access
Each building will provide approximately 3,500 square feet of warehouse space as well as a small, ADA-compliant office and restroom. Each facility must be located out of flood and wildfire hazard areas per grant requirements - staff utilized the FEMA National Flood Insurance Rate Maps, Zone X (500-year flood) and the CalFIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zones (Medium, High, and Very High) to assess each location. Each facility will incorporate resilience features including seismic safety elements, on-site solar electricity production and battery storage as well as auxiliary electrical power connections. Staff will continue to explore the potential for adding vehicle charging stations.
DEM will support operation of the CERCs with existing staff. DEM will support ongoing maintenance of the CERCs using department funds currently paying for leases on commercially leased warehouse space.
Due to their smaller size and the nature of their construction, the CERCs being developed under this grant are not suitable for service as full County regional service centers. These CERC facilities will not be Class A buildings capable of housing day-to-day staff or visiting members of the public. The grant performance period also necessitates that these CERCs be designed and built in the next 30 months which will not provide the opportunity for them to be integrated into any planning for future County regional service centers. The timeline for this grant also effectively precludes these funds from being combined with other grants to develop larger resiliency centers.
Additionally, the CERCs under development here in Sonoma County differ from the Community Resilience Center (CRC) model currently being developed in Tuolumne County. Tuolumne County received $19,261,125 from a National Disaster Resilience Competition Grant and an additional $5 million in federal funds to build just two CRCs. The Tuolumne County CRCs are designed as a Class A buildings with almost 9,000 square feet of space hosting county and community based organizations providing day-to-day services as well supporting disaster response when needed. In an effort to explore the potential for federal grant funds to develop a Tuolumne County-style CRC, DEM is developing an application for the FY2017 Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation-Public Services (CDBG-MIT-PPS) grant. The proposed $500,000 project would enable the County to develop a scoping and feasibility study for such a facility. The County could then use the study to support participation in other federal grant programs.
Note: The term “Community Resiliency Center” (CRC) is increasingly being used by many organizations for various concepts including those involved with social equity efforts and climate change development. For example, the California Strategic Growth Council will issue a Notice of Funding Availability for $100 million provided by the State to develop Community Resilience Centers which they define as “new facilities or retrofit existing facilities that will serve as centers to help vulnerable residents withstand the impacts of extreme heat, wildfires, power outages, flooding, and other emergency situations brought about by climate change.” At some point, staff may recommend that the County revise the name of the facilities developed as part of this project.
Proposed CERC Locations
As explained above, the funding made available under this grant will allow the County to develop three of the CERCs. Staff will continue to pursue additional state and federal grant funding opportunities to complete the remaining two CERCs.
In assessing potential CERC locations, staff developed site selection criteria that reflect both the requirements set forth by the grant as well as operational considerations developed by staff. Grant requirements/constraints regarding site selection include:
1. Sites must be currently owned or controlled by the County. Due to the nature of the grant approval process, the 36 months provided to complete all project elements effectively preclude procuring property or negotiating long-term real estate leases.
2. Sites must be located in (or immediately proximate to) areas with “not less than 51 percent of the residents of such area are persons of low and moderate income.” HUD determines LMI percentages for pre-established geographic areas using the Low Moderate Income Summary Data (LMISD) program.
3. Facilities cannot be located in a high hazard area (ex. flood or wildfire).
Staff also assessed the following operational considerations in evaluating potential sites:
1. Proximity to communities at risk or which may be isolated in a disaster incident
2. Accessibility by residents
3. Proximity to existing facilities and utility connections
4. Alignment with existing or proposed County or public safety facilities/initiatives
County staff identified and evaluated dozens of properties that could potentially meet the grant requirements and operational considerations listed above. Although multiple locations in northern and southern Sonoma County (ex. Cloverdale and Petaluma) were evaluated, none were able to meet all of the requirements - particularly as regards the County’s ownership or control of the property. As staff pursue additional funding for the two remaining CERC locations, other federal grant programs may provide greater flexibility enabling the County to identify and procure properties in these areas.
Staff proposed the following locations for the CERCs in the application submitted in January 2022:
1. Sonoma Veteran’s Building property. 126 1st Street W, Sonoma, CA
2. County Administrative Center. North of, and adjacent to, 2615 Paulin Drive, Santa Rosa, CA
3. Santa Rosa Veteran’s Building property. 1351 Maple Ave, Santa Rosa, CA
4. Alternate 1: Forestville Road Maintenance Yard. 6200 Packing House Road, Forestville, CA
5. Alternate 2: Petaluma Veteran’s Building property. 1094 Petaluma Blvd S, Petaluma, CA
However, based on additional analysis, staff recommend revising the grant application to develop the Forestville Road Maintenance Yard in lieu of the Santa Rosa Veteran’s Building location. This would provide greater community access and operational responsiveness in support of West County as well as reduce the concentration of resources in the central part of the County. Therefore, the final recommended sites are:
1. Sonoma Veterans Building property. 126 1st Street W, Sonoma, CA
2. County Administration Center. North of, and adjacent to, 2615 Paulin Drive, Santa Rosa, CA
3. Forestville Road Maintenance Yard. 6200 Packing House Road, Forestville, CA
The potential CERC location at the County Administration Center was recommended by the County Government Center team, and takes into account potential future projects including the Morgue/Public Health Lab and development of the current County Administration Center - be it new county offices or housing.
Consideration of other potential CERC locations must incorporate the grant-imposed conditions as well as take into account the operational factors summarized above.
CERC Project Funding
The County was allocated $7,172,612 in CDBG Mitigation Resilient Infrastructure program funds to be applied towards three projects. The initial allocation for the CERC project was $6,327,388. Two other projects awarded to the County in this grant have been withdrawn:
1. $164,545 in matching funds for the Information Services Department Data Center Generator project was withdrawn as the requirements to comply with Section 3 of the Housing and Development Act of 1963 were considered too challenging to complete in the time provided. The Section 3 program requires that recipients of certain Housing and Urban Development (HUD) financial assistance, to the greatest extent possible, provide training, employment, contracting and other economic opportunities to low- and very low-income persons, especially recipients of government assistance for housing, and to businesses that provide economic opportunities to low- and very low-income persons.
2. $680,679 in matching funds for the DEM Fire Camera project was withdrawn due to concerns regarding Section 3 compliance as well as a reduction in the overall project scope and the corresponding reduction in the need for matching funds.
These withdrawals thereby free up an additional $845,224 that DEM has requested be re-allocated to the CERC project.
DEM anticipates a response to the application no earlier than April 2022.
In December 2020, the Board of Supervisors allocated $812,500 from PG&E Settlement Funds to establish Sonoma County Operational Area Community Disaster Logistics and Operations sites in each supervisorial district. These funds are being used to conduct the current initial GSD scoping and site selection work.
CERC Project Timeline
Project development is contingent upon grant approval. Key project milestones in the proposed timeline include:
1. December 2022 - Develop Request for Proposal and Permits
2. January 2023 - Award Contract
3. August 2023 - Start Construction
4. December 2024 - Complete Construction
5. January 2025 - Closeout Grant
Next steps:
Staff will incorporate Board direction regarding CERC locations in project planning and related grant program administration.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Resilient Infrastructure
Goal: Goal 2: Invest in capital systems to ensure continuity of operations and disaster response.
Objective: Objective 1: Strengthen critical communications infrastructure, interoperability, and information technology tools relied upon during disasters.
Alignment with Key County Initiatives:
This item also supports the County’s Recovery and Resiliency Framework in Strategy Area 1: Community Preparedness and Infrastructure; Goal 2: Meet future challenges by redesigning the County Emergency Management Program, providing additional resources, enhancing funding capabilities, and recommitting to the County’s public safety missions.
Prior Board Actions:
May 11, 2021: Adopted a resolution approving an Allocation of Funding and Authorizing the Application for Funding and the Execution of Grant Agreements and any Amendments thereto from the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) and Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) Programs.
December 15, 2020: Allocated $812,500 from PG&E Settlement Funds to support development of Community Emergency Resilience Centers as an element in Transportation, Utilities Undergrounding, Communications, Safety, and Preparedness Infrastructure Investments.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 21-22 Adopted |
FY22-23 Projected |
FY 23-24 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$300,000 |
$2,306,129 |
$2,819,000 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$300,000 |
$2,306,129 |
$2,819,000 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal: CDBG MIT-RIP |
|
$1,794,129 |
$2,819,000 |
|
Fees/Other: PG&E Settlement Funds |
$300,000 |
$512,000 |
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$300,000 |
$2,306,129 |
$2,819,000 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
In FY21-22 $162,500 of the PG&E Settlement Funds were originally budgeted for initial design and planning for FY21-22, with a mid-year, second quarter budget adjustment for an additional $137,500, for a total of $300,000. The department budgeted the remaining $512,000 balance in the FY22-23 budget for non-reimbursable pre-award costs.
The department has budgeted $1,794,129 CDBG MIT-RIP project expenses for FY22-23. Remaining grant project revenues and expenditures will be budgeted in FY 24/25.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None.
Attachments:
1) PowerPoint Presentation
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None.