To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): County Counsel, County Administrator, Regional Parks, General Services, Emergency Management
Staff Name and Phone Number: Linda Schiltgen 707-565-3742
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
COVID-19 Response: Acceptance of Emergency Supplies and Waiver of Regional Parks Entrance Fees
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Ratify acceptance of donations of COVID 19 emergency response gear from Keysight Technologies and distribute the emergency supplies to local health care providers, local hospitals, local community clinics and emergency responders;
B) Delegate authority to the County Administrator and the Emergency Operations Center Directors, in concurrence with the General Services Director, to accept donations of any kind and distribute to the community to assist with the emergency response to the COVID 19 pandemic ; and
C) Ratify waiver of Regional Parks Entrance Fees for the duration of the County of Sonoma’s Declaration of a Local Public Health Emergency.
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Executive Summary:
During this global pandemic, the world is in a crisis shortage of personal protective equipment. Our health care providers and emergency response teams are in desperate need of N95 masks and other protective gear. The Board hereby accepts the generous offer of Keysight Technologies to donate $100,000 worth of personal protective equipment, including N95 masks, safety googles and safety gloves for our community’s local health care providers, public health workers and emergency responders. The Board also delegates authority to the County Administrator and EOC Directors, with the concurrence of the General Services Director, to accept future donations and distribute in the community as needed. The Board also directs County Counsel’s Office to file with this Board each quarter a report that describes the source and value of each accepted donation valued in excess of ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
The Shelter in Place Order is critical to save lives and stop the spread of this disease. Yet, our residents still need exercise. The Board hereby waives all entrance fees to the County’s Regional Parks to encourage our residents to go outside, with adequate social distancing, to exercise and preserve mental health as much as possible.
Discussion:
The County of Sonoma has declared a Local Public Health Emergency as well as a Local Emergency to respond to COVID-19 global pandemic. COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their nose, eyes or mouth. People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. It is of critical importance for our local health care providers and emergency responders to have protective gear.
To help protect health services providers, public health workers and emergency response teams in Sonoma County, Keysight Technologies has generously offered to donate N95 masks, safety gloves, safety goggles and coveralls to distribute to the local hospitals, community health clinics, local health care providers and emergency responders as needed. Government Code section 25355 and section 26227 authorize the Board of Supervisors to accept donations and distribute the donations of any kind when they serve the public’s purpose. The Board finds that accepting these supplies and donating these supplies to local health care providers, local hospitals, local community health care clinics, public health workers and emergency responders meet a critical public purpose to protect the public’s health and safety. The Board further delegates authority to the County Administrator and to each of the Emergency Operations Center Directors to accept donations of any kind and distribute them as they deem necessary, subject to the concurrence of the General Services Director. All such donations shall be free of terms, conditions or restrictions, and shall be solely used for purposes of response to the declared emergencies, as determined by the County. In addition, the Board directs the Clerk of the Board to file a Form 801 Gift to Agency to document the acceptance and donation of these supplies to the County of Sonoma. The Board also directs County Counsel’s Office to file with this Board each quarter a report that describes the source and value of each accepted donation valued in excess of ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
To further protect the community, on March 17, 2020 the Sonoma County Public Health Officer issued a Shelter in Place Order. The purpose of this Order is to ensure that the maximum number of people self-isolate in their places of residence to the maximum extent feasible to slow the spread of COVID-19. One exception to the Shelter in Place Order allows our residents to engage in outdoor activity, provided the individuals comply with social distancing requirements. This allows our residents, by way of example, to walk, hike, bicycle or jog. To encourage our residents to continue to access the County’s Regional Parks and engage in outdoor activity as authorized in the Shelter in Place Order, the County ratifies the waiver of Regional Park Entrance fees for the duration of the County’s Declaration of Local Health Emergency to Respond to COVID-19.
Prior Board Actions:
Fiscal Summary
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
It is unclear at this time the financial impact of the waiver of Regional Park Entrance fees for the duration of the County’s Declaration of Local Health Emergency to Respond to COVID-19. Historically, spring has been a popular time for Parks entrance fees. The average fee revenues for the prior two fiscal years for April, May and June are as follows: April - $64,000, May - $100,000, and June - $268,000. The overall impact to Parks will be dependent on the duration of the Local Health Emergency, but can range from $64,000 to $432,000 in the current fiscal year. Given the status of the General Fund Contingencies, the County Administrator will work closely with Regional Parks to identify alternate funding sources to help absorb these losses, which may include General Fund Year End Fund Balance, Parks Fund Balance, or Measure M.
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
Attachments:
Keysight Technologies Donation Form
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board: