To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Board of Supervisors
Staff Name and Phone Number: Supervisor Rebecca Hermosillo, 707-565-2241
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): First
Title:
Title
Disbursement of Fiscal Year 25-26 First District Community Investment Fund Grant Awards
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Approve Community Investment Fund grant awards and authorize the County Executive, or designee, to execute an agreement with the following entities: Art Escape, $2,000; Centro Laboral de Graton, $1,000; Disability Services and Legal Center, $500; Generation Housing (Tides Center), $1,000; KSVY (Sonoma Valley Community Communications), $5,000; LandPaths, $1,000; Micah’s Hugs, $1,000; North Bay Science Discovery Day (Buck Institute for Research on Aging), $500; On The Margins, Inc., $1,000; Santa Rosa Quilt Guild, $500; Santa Rosa Violence Prevention Partnership (City of Santa Rosa), $1,500; Sonoma Family Meal, $4,000; Sonoma Valley Community Health Center, $3,500; Sonoma Valley Health and Recreation Association (Sonoma Splash), $7,000; The Living Room Center, $1,000; Verity, $1,000; and, Vida Cultural Arts, $3,000;
B) Authorize the County Executive, or designee, to amend these agreements to lengthen the time schedules and make minor modifications to the allowed uses that do not increase the amount awarded under the agreements. to enter text.
end
Executive Summary:
The Board established the Local Events, Organizations, and District Priorities category to fund local events and programs that will support businesses, culture, and organizations that provide a benefit to the community, or to award funding to County Departments to fulfill Supervisorial District priorities. Events and organizations may make requests throughout the year to one or more Supervisorial Districts.
The First District has reviewed applications and recommends the following grant awards:
1.) Art Escape for advertising and promotional costs of programs, workshops, exhibitions, and community events, grant award of $2,000;
2.) Centro Laboral de Graton for supporting their domestic worker program, ALMAS, grant award of $1,000;
3.) Disability Services and Legal Center for the Aging and Disability Resource Expo, grant award of $500;
4.) Generation Housing (Tides Center) for publishing costs of the 4th Annual State of Housing in Sonoma County report, grant award of $1,000;
5.) KSVY (Sonoma Valley Community Communications) for supporting the Community Voice Initiative, grant award of $5,000;
6.) LandPaths for supporting the Harvest Festival/Festival de la Cosecha, grant award of $1,000;
7.) Micah’s Hugs for supporting life-saving intervention against Sonoma County’s fentanyl crisis, grant award of $1,000;
8.) North Bay Science Discovery Day (Buck Institute for Research on Aging) for supporting the 2026 North Bay Science Discovery Day; grand award of $500;
9.) On The Margins, Inc. for supporting Healing Justice Clinic practitioners, grant award of $1,000;
10.) Santa Rosa Quilt Guild for purchasing quilting supplies, grant award for $500;
11.) Santa Rosa Violence Prevention Partnership (City of Santa Rosa) for supporting the 2025 Violence Prevention Seminar, grant award of $1,500;
12.) Sonoma Family Meal for supporting the annual gala, grant award of $4,000;
13.) Sonoma Valley Community Health Center for supporting the annual Back to School Health Fair, grant award of $3,500;
14.) Sonoma Valley Health and Recreation Association (Sonoma Splash) for supporting access to learn-to-swim and water safety programs, grant award of $7,000;
15.) The Living Room Center for supporting the annual fundraising gala, grant award of $1,000;
16.) Verity to support the prevention education internship program, grant award of $1,000; and
17.) Vida Cultural Arts for supporting the annual Dia de Independencia celebration, grant award of $3,000.
Activities performed utilizing Community Investment Program funds provide public benefits that serve important community needs under Government Code Section 26227.
Discussion:
Transient Occupancy Tax Funding
The Sonoma County Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT or Hotel Bed Tax) was established in 1965 and is authorized under State Revenue and Taxation Code Section 7280. TOT, a general tax, is currently levied at a rate of 12%, a rate established in 2016 by the voter-approved Measure L. TOT revenue is allocated 25% to the General Fund; 50% to the Community Investment Fund; and 25% to the Measure L Fund.
Community Investment Fund Program and Policy
The Community Investment Fund Program, established in 1986 as the Advertising and Promotions Program, allocates a portion of the Transient Occupancy Tax to encourage economic development, community engagement, and culture in the County through a variety of grant award and funding avenues. The program provides grants to community-based organizations for a wide range of activities including economic development, community and countywide events, and advertising and promoting the county as a visitor destination with the goal of advancing economic growth through tourism. Additionally, the program provides grants to address impacts on safety due to tourism and to enhance community services throughout the county. The program provides funding to the Regional Parks Department, the Economic Development Collaborative, and additional county activities. Community Investment Funds are allocated per the Community Investment Fund Policy (Policy) (https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/county-administrators-office/community-investment-fund-program/community-investment-program-policy).
On September 16, 2025, the Board adopted revisions to the Policy, consolidating funding priorities into three funding categories: County Department Funding, District Priorities, and Community Funding. Staff are working on updating the application process to align with the new funding categories. In order to minimize impacts to the community, applications in process will continue to be processed based on the current Policy.
Revised District Priorities Category
The revised District Priorities funding category provides funds to events, organizations, and Supervisorial District priorities. Funding may be distributed through grants or assigned to County departments. The funds available in this category include $100,000 for each supervisorial district ($500,000 total) from the Community Investment Fund and 10% of Measure L revenue to be allocated to each supervisorial district proportionate to the amount of Transient Occupancy Tax collected within the district in the previous fiscal year. Unused funds will be accounted for and available for use in future years. Organizations may make their requests directly to each Supervisorial District.
Funds in this category may be used for activities such as safety improvements, environmental impact mitigation, public safety, and other tourism mitigation activities, such as parking enforcement. Funds may be used for projects that benefit the community, or to support organizations that coordinate community improvements, such as the Municipal Advisory Councils. The Board may award funding to County Departments or to Supervisorial Districts to complete priority projects. Funding may be used to cover salary and benefit costs associated with changed or additional staff, and other costs associated with added staffing such as office space.
Funds will be distributed upon approval of these awards by the Board of Supervisors and execution of the Community Investment Fund grant agreement by the entity. The agreements will be executed by the County Executive, or designee. The agreements require the County seal on promotional materials produced using the grant award.
Because a project may require modification as the work/project may not be completed within the fiscal year, an extension of time or modification of allowed uses for the organization to complete the project may be necessary. Therefore, it is recommended that the County Executive, or designee, be authorized to amend the contracts to lengthen the time schedules and make minor modifications to the allowed uses that do not increase the amount awarded under the agreement.
Activities performed utilizing Community Investment Program funds provide public benefits that serve important community needs under Government Code Section 26227.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
None for FY 25-26
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 25-26 Adopted |
FY 26-27 Projected |
FY 27-28 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$34,500 |
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$34,500 |
|
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
$34,500 |
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$34,500 |
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Community Investment Funds are included in the FY25-26 budget.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Sample Local Events, Organizations, District Priorities Grant Agreement
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None