To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): County Administrator’s Office
Staff Name and Phone Number: Terri Wright - 565-2431
Vote Requirement: Informational Only
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Quarterly County Grant Program Update
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Receive the first quarterly report on the County Grant Program, which represents departmental efforts to seek grant funding and position for external funding opportunities.
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Executive Summary:
The Board of Supervisors has requested that County departments make a concerted effort to proactively pursue external funding to support County priorities. In response, the County Administrator’s Office (CAO) developed the County Grant Program last fall to coordinate activities with an initial cohort of departments. The CAO will regularly report to the Board of Supervisors on efforts to pursue external funding, including via quarterly updates that were approved for the Board’s 2023 Significant Items Calendar. This is the first quarterly status report, covering the period from January to March 2023.
Discussion:
County Grant Program Overview
To meet the interests of the Board of Supervisors, County Administrator’s Office (CAO) is working with departments to proactively pursue grants or other forms of external funding to fund County priorities, including Strategic Plan goals and objectives. Given the importance of this effort, the CAO has dedicated a .5 full-time equivalent (FTE) Principal Analyst, bringing years of departmental coordination and federal grants management experience to manage the effort. The support is designed to help bolster departmental lead grant-seeking efforts by improving coordination, grant research, and grant-seeking tracking systems, along with other grant-oriented improvement goals. The departments represented in this quarterly update include Ag + Open Space, County Administrator’s Office, Department of Emergency Management, Department of Health Services, Economic Development Board, Human Services Department, Information Services Department, Permit Sonoma, Regional Parks, and Public Infrastructure Department.
CAO staff commenced coordination with departmental grant staff in mid-December, and refocused efforts in mid-January following the winter storm event. During coordination meetings, systems were established to track grant activity, establish reporting expectations and metrics, including identifying grant-seeking priorities and Strategic Plan goal alignment.
The Grant Program also aims to strengthen existing grant support and legislative advocacy systems. The County has existing partnerships with eCivis, a software company that enables jurisdictions to research and track grants and with Glen Price Group, which helps with grant tracking and grant writing. These grant support systems are currently being assessed for areas that can enhance program goals and ease of use by County employees. CAO grant staff is has begun coordinating with the CAO’s Legislative & Community Affairs manager to understand how grant priorities can be supported by legislative advocacy and/or targeted outreach. Additionally, staff are monitoring for opportunities expected to come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law <https://www.whitehouse.gov/build/guidebook/> and the Inflation Reduction Act <https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/15/by-the-numbers-the-inflation-reduction-act/>.
Department Updates and Key Accomplishments
Each department has prepared a report on the objectives of their Grant Program, which includes grant-seeking priorities, grant activity, major funding sources being monitored, and activities being performed to enhance grant-seeking capabilities. These reports have been included as attachments. See summary below for ease of reference.
Public Infrastructure applied for three grants in the quarter totaling more than $40 million in grant applications:
• $30 million grant application to complete the design and construction of a permanent bridge at the Asti crossing, that will provide residents with an essential ingress/egress route and prevent further erosion of the riverbank in that area.
• $7.6 million grant to improve Veteran Building internet, back-up generation, and other infrastructure improvements. All of Sonoma County’s Veteran’s Buildings were included in the grant request.
• $2.4 million in grant funding was requested for the predevelopment design and permitting of a compost facility on the grounds of the Sonoma County Airport. There are currently no compost facilities in Sonoma County - this grant would help advance the effort to allow local access to composting resources.
Regional Parks applied for three grants in the quarter, totaling nearly $2 million including.
• $1 million to contribute to Sonoma Schellville Trail Acquisition
• $50,000 to contribute to Bodega Bay Trail Coastal North Harbor construction, and
• $895,000 for Hazardous Fuels Reduction for Sonoma County Regional Parks at Mark West Creek and Monte Rio Redwoods.
Permit Sonoma applied for the three grants totaling $6.3 million:
• $3 million from Prop. 64 Public Health Grant related to the impacts of cannabis legalization.
• $800,000 from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission for an Airport Specific Plan Planning Grant.
• ProHousing Incentive Pilot Program, requesting $1.4 million to support the Counties efforts to obtain California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) ProHousing designation. This designation will enable the County to become eligible for a wider range of housing grant opportunities.
Information Services assigned a Grants Coordinator to manage department grant efforts and has instituted regular meetings with Department Leadership to review grant opportunities, including close monitoring of the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP).
Human Services was awarded two grants totaling $200,000 each to support child advocacy and disability action planning.
Economic Development was awarded $1.5 million via four separate grants supporting broadband efforts including infrastructure planning, advanced adoption and the support of regional broadband consortium leadership. In addition, staff applied for three grants totaling $1.1 million with a focus on broadband advanced adoption efforts and the support of inclusive entrepreneurship in Sonoma County.
Health Services was awarded $2.8 million from nine separate grants to support an array of Public Health (PH) programs, including, PH strengthening, HIV, and PH Laboratory readiness, and applied for two grants, including $700,000 for nursing home infrastructure preparedness.
Emergency Management submitted a pre-application for a State Homeland Security Grant for $500,000 and staff participated in monthly training through the National Grant Management Association and the Institute for Public Procurement
County Administrator’s Office was awarded a total of $1.9 million for a cannabis equity grant and a PG&E local partnership grant. The department also applied for a $900,000 grant supporting multi-family energy resilience.
Ag + Open Space was awarded $810,000 grant from the Sustainable Ag Lands Conservation Program to fund the McClelland Dairy Easement. Additionally, a technical assistant grant from the American Farmland Trust was awarded and will provide training for two employees to increase their capacity to assist underserved agricultural producers and reduce greenhouse gases.
Next Steps
The Grant Program has made progress by promoting better coordination. Additional measures being put in place to bolster the program's effectiveness, include:
1. Solidifying departmental grant-seeking priorities and establishing clear criteria for identifying potential grants. These benchmarks will enable departments to focus their efforts efficiently on the most pressing needs.
2. Identifying and addressing internal impediments to grant coordination and fostering a broader understanding of grants across the organization. Identifying solutions to grant barriers will play an essential role in shaping grant priorities.
Lastly, plans are also underway to expand the program to encompass other departments. The next quarterly update will describe progress towards these efforts, with a specific emphasis on solidifying departmental grant priorities and establishing clear criteria for identifying potential grants.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Organizational Excellence
Goal: Goal 4: Seek out grant funding to enhance programs and improve infrastructure
Objective: Objective 1: Secure a total of $60 million in grant funding by 2026 for strategic priorities, including technology tools, climate resiliency, and other capital projects.
Prior Board Actions:
On March 2, 2021, the Board of Supervisors adopted the Sonoma County Strategic Plan, which established the priority of securing $60 million in grant funding by 2026.
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
There are no fiscal impacts associated with this quarterly report. However, grant activity efforts described in the report increase revenue capacity to meet County priorities.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
There are no staffing impacts associated with this quarterly report.
Attachments:
Ag + Open Space Quarterly Report
County Administrator Quarterly Report
Department of Emergency Management Quarterly Report
Department of Health Services Quarterly Report
Economic Development Board Quarterly Report
Human Services Department Quarterly Report
Information Systems Quarterly Report
Permit Sonoma Quarterly Report
Regional Parks Quarterly Report
Sonoma Public Infrastructure Quarterly Report
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None