To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Public Infrastructure
Staff Name and Phone Number: Johannes J. Hoevertsz, 707-565-2550
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Fourth
Title:
Title
Grant Funding Agreement for District Four Vegetation Management and Workforce Development
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize the Director of Public Infrastructure to enter into a grant funding agreement with the Northern Sonoma County Fire Foundation for the amount of $47,000 for workforce development initiatives with the Santa Rosa Junior College in vegetation management and wildfire resilience, and to take necessary actions to implement the agreement, including executing minor amendments.
B) Make a finding that the proposed expenditures are necessary to meet the social needs of the population of the County pursuant to Government Code Section 26227.
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Executive Summary:
At the request of District Four staff, Sonoma County Public Infrastructure Department (SPI) is seeking Board approval to execute a funding agreement with the Northern Sonoma County Fire Foundation (NSCFF) in the amount of $47,000, to fund workforce development initiatives with the Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) in vegetation management and wildfire resilience. As the fiscal sponsor of the SRJC Wildfire Resilience Program, the NSCFF will administer the program’s paid internships for students in Wildfire Resilience and vegetation management.
Discussion:
In response to large scale wildfires in 2017, 2019, and 2020 the Board allocated $2.5 million during the Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget hearings for vegetation management and hazardous tree removal. The $2.5 million was allocated evenly across all Supervisorial Districts, each receiving $500,000 for identified projects. To date, a cumulative total of $982,000 has been expended across all Districts and District Four has $47,813 of its $500,000 allocation remaining.
At the direction of District Four, SPI requests authority to execute a grant funding agreement with the Northern Sonoma County Fire Foundation for a not-to-exceed amount of $47,000 with a term ending December 31, 2028.
If approved, the funding will be used for, but not limited to, the following purposes:
• Paid internship employment costs related to hiring and managing student interns from Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC)
• Payment for instructors and personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Matching grants to support the program
• Tools and related resources
The paid internship program aims to reduce and mitigate high priority fire risks, improve forest health, and train the next generation of wildfire and vegetation management specialists. With the Northern Sonoma County Fire Foundation as fiscal sponsor, the SRJC Wildfire Resilience Program will bolster much needed capacity in workforce development to fill the need of our wildfire-risk-reduction and Measure H funded projects in Sonoma County. Measure H is a voter approved sales tax dedicated to improving fire protection, emergency response, and wildfire prevention in Sonoma County.
The SRJC program has produced highly trained and valued vegetation management and wildfire resilience specialists and technicians many of whom have been recruited to critical full-time positions with the Northern Sonoma County Fire District, Sonoma County Regional Parks, Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, and other local partners in the sector. This funding will increase capacity and expand the scope and scale of beneficial fire and non-fire vegetation treatments across Sonoma County.
This funding agreement is authorized under Government Code Section 26227, pursuant to which the Board may fund programs deemed by the Board to be necessary to meet the social needs of the population of the County, including but not limited to, the areas of health, public safety, and welfare.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Climate Action and Resiliency
Goal: Goal 1: Continue to invest in wildfire preparedness and resiliency strategies
Objective: Objective 2: Expand outreach and education on vegetation management and provide additional resources to land owners to help mitigate fire risk.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
10/22/2024 #19 Board approved funding agreements with Northern Sonoma County Fire District and Russian Riverkeeper for vegetation management.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY25-26 Adopted |
FY26-27 Projected |
FY27-28 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$47,000 |
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$47,000 |
|
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
$47,000 |
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$47,000 |
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Appropriations for this agreement are available in the FY 2025-26 PGE2017 Hazardous Trees Adopted Budget (10137-16022106-53501-Program code 16TD4).
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None.
Attachments:
Funding Agreement
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None