To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): County Administrator’s Office and the Department of Emergency Management
Staff Name and Phone Number: Kay Lowtrip 707-565-2431 / Jeffrey DuVall 707-565-1152
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Sonoma County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) Community Resilience Centers Planning Grant Application Letter of Commitment
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Authorize the Chair to send a letter of commitment to the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) for a Community Resilience Centers planning grant application by the Sonoma County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD).
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Executive Summary:
In the 2021-2022 State of California Climate Resilience budget, the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) was allocated $100 million to implement the Community Resilience Centers (CRC) Program. Trailer bill language from Senate Bill 155 (2021) specified that $25 million will be available in the 2022-2023 fiscal year and $75 million in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
SGC anticipates approximately $5 million in Planning Grant funding, approximately $9.6 million in Project Development Grant funding, and approximately $84 million in Implementation Grant funding.
SGCs CRC grant funds the opportunity for planning, development, new construction, and upgrades of neighborhood-level resilience centers to provide shelter and resources during climate and other emergencies.
Sonoma County COAD, with the support of other member organizations, has applied for a planning grant for $489,000 to establish a countywide, coordinated network of community resilience centers. The grant application process required that COAD secures letters of commitment from local and city agencies. The full CRC Program Guidelines can be found on the SGC website <https://sgc.ca.gov/programs/community-resilience-centers/>.
This board action recommends that the County join the City of Santa Rosa and Cloverdale in committing to develop an MOU that complies with the terms in section 6.3 of the CRC Program Guidelines. <https://sgc.ca.gov/programs/community-resilience-centers/docs/20230727-CRC_R1_Guidelines_Amended.pdf> The MOU is intended to establish a collaborative stakeholder structure, which may include roles, responsibilities, staffing, and budget plans for each entity.
If the grant is awarded the negotiated, the memorandum of understanding will be brought to the Board for approval. The timeline for awarding the grant is set in the fall of 2023. The scope of the MOU has not yet been identified.
Discussion:
Sonoma County Community Organizations Active in Disaster CRC’s (the “pilot sites”) are anchored by trusted, community-based organizations that have served their community through previous disasters and provide year-round, culturally responsive programming to strengthen social connections, health, and economic stability in the communities they serve.
COAD is seeking the grant funding to increase their capacity to function as community resilience centers in alignment with COAD’s collaborative and equity-forward disaster preparedness and response approach. Community engagement and utilizing emergency management partners will help to develop criteria and operational objectives for the pilot CRC’s and CRC network and to evaluate potential resilience solutions and develop emergency plans for each pilot site. The CRC Pilot Sites are anticipated to each be operated by a project partner. Project activities will prepare Pilot Sites for future CRC development opportunities through five phases:
a) Establish a Collaborative Stakeholder Structure (CSS):
b) Develop community-driven CRC site and network criteria and operational objectives.
c) Host a Resilient Strategies Workshop Series and prioritize resilience strategies for each site.
d) Develop Emergency and Year-Round Resilience Plans
e) Create a CRC Network Toolkit
CRC Planning Grants are intended to help communities in the initial stages of CRC project development by funding planning and pre-development, community engagement and coordination, site preparation, and other activities necessary to prepare for future CRC rounds of funding and other related funding opportunities. Planning Grant term of approximately two (2) years, with the option to extend on a case-by-case basis.
Under the proposed CRC Planning Grant, COAD’s efforts are to evaluate coalition member organizations and open the options for members to conduct needs assessments to identify gaps in needs. Assessments could include critical utility infrastructure at potential project sites, including water, energy, and broadband resiliency.
By completing the CRC planning grant, COAD can use the assessment found for additional rounds of SGC CRC grant funding opportunities to fund CRC Project Development Grants to support shovel-ready projects, and CRC Implementation Grants are intended to fund new construction and upgrades of neighborhood-scale facilities.
The project team is made up of:
Project Lead: Sonoma County COAD
Community Based Organizations:
Community Action Partnership, Catholic Charities, Hanna Center, La Luz, La Familia Sana, The Living Room, West County Community Services, and Raizes Collective.
Government Partners:
Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management, City of Santa Rosa Emergency Management Division; and City of Cloverdale.
If the grant is awarded a memorandum of understanding will be brought to the Board for approval. The timeline for awarding the grant is set in the fall of 2023.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar and goal.
Pillar: Climate Action and Resiliency Goal 2: Support carbon-eliminating microgrid technology in communities and energy grid resilience to reduce the impact of power loss during power shutdowns and natural disasters (floods, fires, earthquakes) through education and legislative advocacy, prioritizing critical infrastructure and vulnerable populations.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
There are no directly related prior board actions.
Fiscal Summary
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
This item does not have a fiscal impact. If the grant is awarded the Memorandum of Understanding will be brought back to the board with the fiscal impacts, if any.
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Letter of Commitment
COAD CRC Project Vision Description
California Strategic Growth Council CRC Fact Sheet
California Strategic Growth Council Round 1 Final Program Guidelines
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A