To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): County Administrator’s Office, Human Services Department
Staff Name and Phone Number: Deputy County Administrator Michael Gossman, ext. 7056
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
Recovery & Resiliency Framework Implementation 2019 Quarter 1 Report and Sonoma County 2-1-1 Transition Plan
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Recommended Actions:
Recommended action
A) Receive the Recovery & Resiliency Framework Implementation 2019 Quarter 1 Report.
B) Approve a resolution authorizing budgetary adjustments to the Human Services Department FY 2018-2019 adopted budget to program $153,893 to finance enhancements to the 2-1-1 system in Sonoma County.
C) Authorize the Human Services Department Director to enter into an agreement with The United Way of the Wine Country to implement the 2-1-1 transition project to shift and enhance call handling by July 1, 2019, for an amount not to exceed $153,893, financed from Disaster Recovery and Resiliency funds.
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Executive Summary:
Office of Recovery and Resiliency staff provide the Board and community regular updates on disaster recovery efforts, including rebuilding permits issued; external funding and grant efforts; and relevant legislation. These updates are prepared as standing agenda items for each Board meeting and are typically included on the consent calendar. In December 2018, the Board approved the Recovery & Resiliency Framework (Framework) and directed staff to provide quarterly updates on the Board’s Top 10 Priority Framework Projects and current year recovery activities. Attached to this item is the first of the quarterly Framework implementation reports; the next quarterly updates to the Board are scheduled for July 9, 2019 and November 5, 2019.
Also included in this item is a request that the Board approve a services agreement to partially fund the transition of Sonoma County 2-1-1 services to The United Way of the Wine Country (United Way) and for opportunities to enhance call handling. The new agreement, which will have a not exceed amount of $153,893, will be funded with appropriations in the County Non-Departmental FY 18-19 adopted General Fund budget. A resolution requesting these appropriations be transferred to the Human Services Department is attached for the Board’s consideration.
Discussion:
Recovery & Resiliency Framework Implementation
Your Board approved the Recovery & Resiliency Framework (Framework) on December 11, 2018 including a comprehensive list of potential activities and actions that, if implemented, would help the County and community recover and become more resilient to future disasters. While County departments have been actively pursuing many recovery efforts, your Board directed staff to prioritize the following Top 10 Projects:
1. Establish a comprehensive Alert and Warning System.
2. Work with the community to identify hazards, risks, mitigation strategies, including evacuation routes.
3. Facilitate construction hardening techniques appropriate for wildfire urban interfaces and seismic retrofits for rebuilding and for existing homes through education and grant programs.
4. Work with private utility providers on solutions related to hardening infrastructure and on coping with destroyed utilities in a disaster, including undergrounding where appropriate and necessary.
5. Help property owners navigate vegetation management opportunities through partnership with Fire Safe Sonoma and similar programs.
6. Continue to advocate for substantive changes to insurance regulations.
7. Engage the community to raise awareness about how to prepare and plan ahead for disasters.
8. Expedited permitting for homeowners who are rebuilding.
9. Enhance the 2-1-1 System.
10. Develop a One-Stop Shop Resource Center.
Summary updates for the Top 10 Priority Projects are provided in the Recovery & Resiliency Framework Implementation 2019 Quarter 1 Report (Attachment A). The report includes recovery activity highlights for the five strategic area of recovery: Community Preparedness and Infrastructure, Housing, Economy, Safety Net Services, and Natural Resources. The report also includes a description of ongoing grant activity and Recovery & Resiliency Framework project funding needs for the next fiscal year.
Recovery Ad Hoc Committee
At the December 11, 2018 Board meeting, your Board also approved the creation of a Recovery Ad Hoc Committee (Ad Hoc) to provide input and guidance to County Administrator’s Office staff on Recovery and Resiliency Framework implementation during 2019. At its discretion, the Recovery Ad Hoc Committee seeks input from fire survivors and other community groups on implementation. The Ad Hoc will exist through December 31, 2019.
The Ad Hoc has convened twice in 2019 to receive status from Project Leads for the Top 10 Projects. Additionally, the Ad Hoc received recovery updates from a group of Community Partners on March 18, 2019. Notes from this meeting are attached to this item (Attachment B). At this meeting, Supervisor Gore and Supervisor Gorin, the Ad Hoc members, acknowledged the many collaborations countywide and the great work being done by partner organizations. Regular monthly Ad Hoc meetings will continue and monthly convenings with Community Partners are being planned.
Sonoma County 2-1-1 Transition
In collaboration with the Office of Recovery and Resiliency, the Human Services Department is requesting $153,893 in one-time funds to facilitate the transition of an enhanced 2-1-1 system for Sonoma County. Following planning discussions with community partners, the County of Sonoma intends to transition the current provider of the local 2-1-1 system from the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County to the United Way of the Wine Country, effective July 1, 2019. Requested funds will be expended between January 1, 2019 through June 30, 2019 to ensure a smooth transition between contractors to provide this essential community service. The 2-1-1 Sonoma County Transition Plan is attached to this item (Attachment C).
During the Sonoma Complex Fires in October 2017, community members reported difficulties in obtaining accurate, reliable, and centralized information that threatened their safety and well-being. 2-1-1 Sonoma County services were strained by limited capacity as well as lack of access to modern, updated technology tools to access and share critical information with the public. Increased service demand over the years, and limited funding for staffing and technology, have hampered 2-1-1’s ability to meet the growing needs of the community.
Sonoma County 2-1-1 is the designated information and referral call center provider for the County and serves to connect residents in need to non-emergency health and human service resources and programs. Sonoma County 2-1-1 also provides critical resource information to the community during times of disaster.
Funding will allow 2-1-1 services to be expanded in Sonoma County, while also expanding to serve regional jurisdictions, including Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties. Working collaboratively with regional counties will increase efficiency and expand ongoing funding opportunities.
During this transition period, United Way of the Wine Country will focus on the following deliverables:
§ Involve multiple stakeholders in development of a strategic business to expand 2-1-1 Sonoma County both regionally and functionally. This expansion will be informed by several 2-1-1 organizations that have evolved beyond delivering basic information and referral to include integrated, multi-faceted, multi-service intake, screening, scheduling and other resources that can be referenced and tracked over time for quality assurance and follow-up as needed.
§ Create a proactive disaster communication preparedness and response plan in coordination with the County and other disaster response providers in the region.
§ Develop a more robust database of resources and more user-friendly website.
Following the transition period (through June 30, 2019), United Way of the Wine Country will report back on the results of the developed strategic business plan and other transitional efforts to better inform how 2-1-1 services will be enhanced throughout the coming fiscal year in Sonoma County.
Fiscal Impacts of 2-1-1 Transition
The Office of Recovery and Resiliency and the Human Services Department are requesting use of funds from the Disaster Recovery and Resiliency project set aside in the amount of $153,893 for the 2-1-1 Transition Services Agreement with United Way of the Wine Country (Attachment D). A total of $6.8 million has been set aside by your Board to fund Disaster Recovery and Resiliency projects, largely for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) matches. Of the $6.8 million set aside, $688,000 have already been expended. Pending approval of these funds, the remaining balance in this set aside fund will be $5.96 million for remaining projects.
Recovery and Resiliency Framework Project Funding Requests for FY 2019-2020
Through the County program change request process, several County Departments have submitted or will be submitting FY 19-20 funding requests for projects and activities identified in the Framework for the Board’s consideration at the FY 19-20 budget hearings.
Department of Emergency Management. The Department of Emergency Management and the County Administrator’s Office have developed a Disaster Preparedness Communications & Outreach Plan (Attachment E). Through the Plan, the Department will educate and empower Sonoma County residents, neighborhoods, community groups, and the private sector to prepare for, respond to and mitigate emergencies, including natural and man-made disasters. The goal of the campaign is to promote preparedness through public involvement via traditional and new media approaches and will take opportunities to present clear, concise and consistent messages targeted to specific audiences and tailored to community needs. Outreach will be designed to ensure that communications cross all sensory, language and cultural barriers to reach all residents and visitors in Sonoma County, including individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.
The program encompasses activities to inform the public and provides opportunities for the public to inform the Department of Emergency Management’s policies and programs. The Plan has one-time and ongoing cost components. Total estimated one-time costs of $65,000 include the costs of graphic design assistance, review of curricula and materials for school approval, and the cost of producing printed materials. Annual estimated ongoing expenditures for billboards, newspaper advertising, radio advertisements, television time, direct mail, and printing is estimated at $395,000.
Permit Sonoma. Permit Sonoma is reviewing higher density development opportunities within Urban Service Areas near jobs and transit, as provided in the General Plan, by considering a workforce housing combining zone district(s). In early 2019, the County began considering sites in urban service areas for rezoning for higher density, affordable, or workforce housing. Current funding is identified using SB2 funds, but additional funding is needed to complete the work in a timely manner. SB2 provides State funding and technical assistance to local governments to help them prepare, adopt, and implement plans and process improvements that streamline housing approvals and accelerate housing production. An additional $190,000 in one-time funding is needed to complete the work in FY 19-20.
General Services Department. General Services is working on a number of opportunities for housing on County-owned land. Examples include continuing efforts to repurpose/sell the Chanate campus as allowed under California statute. General Services continues to pursue the Chanate campus and proposals in response to the County’s Request for Proposals (RFP) are being received in May 2019. The County is also exploring the potential for housing as part of a mixed-use development on the County Administration Center property. General Services completed an Informational Survey and Questionnaire process in August 2018 and is evaluating next steps. Further, the County continues to identify possible housing opportunities on other County-owned land, although due diligence work is required to move forward. Finally, the County wants to evaluate the need for construction worker housing and whether opportunities exist on County owned properties. For these four activities, Chanate, County Administration Center, other opportunities on County-owned land, and construction worker housing on County-owned land, funding is needed to move forward in a timely manner. To begin work in FY 19-20, the four County-owned land projects require several hundred thousand dollars in an additional funding.
Grants Update. To date grant activity has focused on identifying and prioritizing projects that can be eligible for funding from various grant sources, particularly the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) administers these federal funds. Through a deliberate process tied to the County’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP), 28 applications for federal funding were submitted with a total estimated project cost of $47.7 million. Proposed projects would implement the County’s LHMP and support the five strategic areas for recovery identified in the Sonoma County Recovery and Resiliency Framework (i.e., Natural Resources, Community Preparedness & Infrastructure, Safety Net Services, Housing, and the Economy). CalOES has notified the County Administrator’s Office that 18 of the County’s submitted proposals have been recommended for FEMA funding. These proposals are in the final stage of Federal review; award notification is anticipated in August 2019. If grant funding is awarded, $30.7 million in projects to reduce risk to life and property throughout the County would be realized. The anticipated start date for these projects is October 2019.
Recommended Actions
§ Receive the Recovery & Resiliency Framework Implementation 2019 Quarter 1 Report.
§ Authorize the Human Services Department Director to enter into an agreement with The United Way of the Wine Country to implement the 2-1-1 transition project to shift and enhance call handling by July 1, 2019, for an amount not to exceed $153,893, from Disaster Recovery and Resiliency project set aside funds.
§ Approve a resolution authorizing budgetary adjustments to the Human Services Department and County Administrator’s Office FY 2018-2019 adopted budgets to transfer $153,893 in appropriations to the Human Services Department budget to fund a transition plan for The United Way of the Wine Country to enhance the 2-1-1 system in Sonoma County.
Prior Board Actions:
12/11/19 - Board approved the Recovery and Resiliency Framework
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY 18-19 Adopted |
FY19-20 Projected |
FY 20-21 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
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|
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
$153,893 |
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Total Expenditures |
$153,893 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF - Recovery & Resiliency Set Aside |
$153,893 |
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State/Federal |
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Fees/Other |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$153,893 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The Office of Recovery and Resiliency and the Human Services Department are requesting use of funds from the Disaster Recovery and Resiliency project set aside in the amount of $153,893. A total of $6.8 million has been set aside by your Board to fund Disaster Recovery and Resiliency projects, largely for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) matches. Of the $6.8 million set aside, $688,000 have already been expended. Pending approval of these funds, the remaining balance in this set aside fund will be $5.96 million for remaining projects.
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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):
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Attachments:
Attachment A: Recovery & Resiliency Framework Implementation 2019 Quarter 1 Report
Attachment B: Notes from March 18, 2019 Community Partner Meetings with Recovery Ad Hoc Committee
Attachment C: The United Way of the Wine Country Transition Plan
Attachment D: Agreement for 2-1-1 Transition Services with The United Way of the Wine Country
Attachment E: Disaster Preparedness Communications & Outreach Plan
Attachment F: Budget Resolution authorizing Adjustments to the FY 18-19 adopted budget for a Transition Plan with The United Way of the Wine Country to enhance the County 2-1-1 System
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
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