To: County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Health Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Tina Rivera, (707) 565-4774; Dave Kiff (707) 565-7504
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Budgetary Adjustment to transfer 2023 Contingencies for costs incurred in FY 2022-23 to provide Homelessness Services at the Fairgrounds Ballfields Trailers
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a resolution authorizing budgetary adjustments to the fiscal year 2023-2024 adopted budget, increasing appropriations in the amount of $1,900,000 to reflect use of 2023 Contingencies at the Fairgrounds Ballfield Trailers for operational and services costs from July 1, 2022 to December 30, 2022, funded with FY2022-23 designated fund balance. (4/5th Vote Required)
end
Executive Summary:
In FY 2020-2021, Sonoma County Department of Health Services (hereinafter, “DHS” or “the Department”) and the Sonoma County Community Development Commission (CDC) established and managed a temporary non-congregate shelter for health-compromised, unsheltered individuals at-risk for contracting COVID-19 at the “Ballfield” section of the Sonoma County Fairgrounds using trailers provided by the State of California Department of General Services. Rather than demobilize the site in the autumn of FY 2022-2023, the decision was made to continue the use of the trailers and house unsheltered individuals from encampments across the County and have them join those already receiving homelessness services.
$1.9 million of FY 2022-23 Contingencies was earmarked for costs of operating the trailers and included on the Status of Contingency Report included in each Board meeting beginning on August 2, 2022. Formal action on the use of contingencies for this purpose and processing the transfer to DHS was not presented to the Board in FY 2022-23. The County Administrator’s Office (CAO) was aware the need persisted, so set aside this as designated fund balance during FY 2022-23 year-end close. This Item will approve the formal action through the recommended action to allow DHS to receive the contingencies for services rendered during FY 2022-2023 for clients at the Ballfield in the amount of $1,900,000.
Discussion:
On March 18, 2020, Governor Newsom signed an Executive Order to implement emergency aid to local governments and implemented emergency proactive measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 among the homeless. The Order also included increased local flexibility for spending and building shelters, public guidance on homeless shelters, purchasing trailers, as well as leasing hotels and motels in partnership with counties.
Since March 2020, the Department of Health Services’ Department Operations Center (DOC) has provided strategic support to individuals experiencing homelessness and at high risk of developing serious complications from COVID-19. Eligible individuals for Non-Congregate Shelter (NCS) sites include individuals who are 65 years of age or older experiencing homelessness or individuals under 65 experiencing homelessness with serious underlying health conditions such as chronic disease, compromised immune systems, respiratory illness, etc. NCS sites have followed Centers for Disease Control and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidance in assessing eligibility for admission to all NCS sites. NCS sites included the Astro Hotel, Sonoma State University, Windsor Holiday Inn, and trailers supplied by the State of California at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.
Using FEMA funds, the County contracts to provide meals, security, health care services, and more for up to 68 residents who are housed in 34 trailers donated by the State of California to the CDC/County with the County holding title to the RVs. The COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency Proclamation was planned to sunset at the end of 2022 and the County planned to demobilize the trailers in the Summer of 2022 in preparation for the ending the proclamation. Instead, the County changed course to use the trailers to shelter individuals coming from encampments and other unhoused situations to stabilize and receive case management and related behavioral and physical health care. FEMA funds were no longer eligible to cover the costs once the trailers ceased being operated as an NCS site.
The cost to operate the trailers in FY 2022-23 was $5.3 million. Funding in FY 2022-23 comprised of Intergovernmental Transfer Fund Balance, a small amount of FEMA funds, and the Contingencies being requested in this Item. It was presumed that the inclusion of the $1.9 million on the Status of Contingencies Report presented the Board each meeting after August 2, 2022 was enough authority to process the transfer. However, during the closing of the books at the fiscal year end it was determined that formal approval from the Board is required to process the transfer. The CAO set the funds aside in the Reserve Purposes Fund during the fiscal year end to hold onto the funds. In order to close FY 22-23, the Finance unit of DHS posted a “Due-From” in county ledgers in the amount of $1.9 million in anticipation of these funds so that payment for the expenses recognized in FY 2022-23 could be disbursed to contractors.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Healthy and Safe Communities
Goal: Goal 1: Expand integrated system of care to address gaps in services to the County’s most vulnerable.
Objective: Objective 2: Identify gaps in the Safety Net system of services and identify areas where departments can address those gaps directly, and seek guidance from the Board when additional resources and/or policy direction is needed.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
On July 12, 2022, this Board A) Received Homelessness Update, offered guidance to staff as to strategies; B) Provided guidance to, accept the recommendations of, and directed the Director of the Department of Health Services and the interim Executive Director of the Community Development Commission to return to the Board with Results-Based Accountability metrics for the proposed uses of $4 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds previously designated by the Board for homelessness programs and solutions; C) Authorized the interim Executive Director of the Community Development Commission, or their designee, to execute the professional services agreement with St Vincent de Paul for the operations of Los Guilicos Village for Fiscal Year 2022-2023, as well as authorized the Interim Executive Director of the Sonoma County Community Development Commission to file Notices of Exemption in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act; D) Directed staff to prepare a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the future operations of Los Guilicos Village for FY 23-24; E) Authorized the Interim Executive Director of the Community Development Commission to donate or otherwise dispose of the temporary housing trailers at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds with a preference towards assigning them to non-profits in service to our unhoused neighbors; and F) Authorized the Board Chair to send a letter to the Governor and California state legislators advocating for a phased-in approach regarding SB 1338 and the CARE Court program (CARE Act).
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY 23-24 Adopted |
FY24-25 Projected |
FY 25-26 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
$1,900,000 |
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Total Expenditures |
$1,900,000 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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State/Federal |
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Fees/Other |
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Use of Fund Balance |
$1,900,000 |
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Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$1,900,000 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
In FY 2022-23, $1.9 million was earmarked from contingencies to provide funding for operations and services provided to homeless individuals housed in the trailers located at the fairgrounds. Though costs were incurred, these funds were not transferred to DHS because authority was not received from the Board for the use of the contingencies. As a result, the $1.9 million was set aside in a designated fund balance for this purpose. This Budget Adjustment will transfer the available fund balance to the Department of Health Services.
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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):
N/A
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Budget Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None