To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Permit Sonoma
Staff Name and Phone Number: Regina De La Cruz, 707-318-0668
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Staffing
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a Personnel Resolution amending the Department Allocation List for Permit Sonoma to add 3.0 Time-Limited positions, to administer the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grants, effective May 12, 2020 to May 12, 2023.
end
Executive Summary:
Permit Sonoma, at the direction of the Board of Supervisors, has applied for multiple grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to prepare for and mitigate the effects of future natural disasters. The Board has also directed the department to continue its s
Three grants have been awarded thus far. $249,998 for the Sonoma County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, with $83,333 match; $150,000 for the Sonoma County Community Wildfire Protection Plan Update, with a $50,000 match; and $1,692,510 for Phase 1 of Wildfire Adapted Sonoma County: Education and Incentives for Safe and Resilient Communities, with a $564,170 match.
Additional grants are currently under FEMA review and are expected to be awarded to Permit Sonoma in the near future.$3,375,000 for Phase 2 of Wildfire Adapted Sonoma County; Education and Incentives for Safe and Resilient Communities, with a $564,170 match; and$4,500,000 for Sonoma County Hazardous Fuels Treatment, with a General Fund match contribution of $1,500,000.
Permit Sonoma is requesting 3.0 FTE Time-Limited positions, for a term of three years, to provide oversight and support for these funded grant activities. 1.0 FTE Time-Limited Department Program Manager, 1.0 FTE Time-Limited Department Analyst, and 1.0 FTE Time-Limited Marketing Specialist. The grants listed above provide the funding to support these positions. The positions are currently being filled with a dual fill and two extra help positions. The Department Program Manager will report to the Natural Resources Manager. The Grants Program Manager will report directly to the Natural Resources Division Manager, and the Department Analyst and Marketing Specialist will report directly to the existing Assistant Fire Chief in the Fire Protection Division of Permit Sonoma.
HR has reviewed and concurs with recommended positions, and that department grant dedicated staff will coordinate with County Administrators grant manager. The work to implement these grants is currently underway and the position changes are necessary to fulfill the approved and funded scopes of work.
Discussion:
California faces an unprecedented multi-dimensional tragedy caused by catastrophic wildfires. Wildfires erupted across Sonoma County the night of October 8, 2017, eventually sweeping into Santa Rosa. More than 5,300 homes and business destroyed, 24 people died and 110,000 acres burned. The fire officially became known as the Sonoma Complex Fire and it forever changed our community, our priorities, and redirected our focus to strategizing our best path forward to support Sonoma County’s recovery. Sonoma County experienced another devastating fire on October 23, 2019. The Kincade Fire forced the evacuation of more than 180,000 Sonoma County residents, destroying 374 structures and consuming 77,758 acres.
These natural disasters, as well as the floods of 2019, changed the course of our departments’ responsibilities to our community. Permit Sonoma has worked tirelessly as we are front and center in the emergency operations center and have worked day and night to make sure rebuilding is possible for our community. Permit Sonoma is committed toward recovery, resiliency and future risk reduction.
Following the catastrophic devastation wreaked by these natural disasters, there is a pressing need to update our emergency response plans (Hazard Mitigation, Wildfire Protection Plan), and provide education and resources to the community to reduce hazardous fuels and harden structures throughout the County to reduce the risk to life, health, and economic well-being in the event of a future wildfire.
In response to the Board of Supervisors’ direction, Permit Sonoma has applied for, received, and is responsible for managing several FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program grants. The grants listed above require and together fund the requested positions. The grants presently awarded allow for reimbursement of pre-award costs, including staff time, and have a term of three (3) years.
The grant application was developed by existing staff at Permit Sonoma with a dual filled position. Existing staff does not have the bandwidth to absorb the implementation of the work associated with the grants, and the duties required involve complex grant management duties that are more closely aligned with the requested Department Program Manager, Department Analyst, and the Marketing Specialist.
The primary duties of the Department Program Manager are as follows:
• Coordinates grant activities between the Consultant, department staff, and other agencies, acts as primary liaison on projects.
• Attends CAO led countywide Grants Steering Committee and Community Outreach events as department representative.
• Identifies grant program members for three different steering committees, and conducts outreach to community members, stake holders and agencies that are specific to each grant program.
• Coordinates, administers the grant, prepares agency report submissions, manages the programs and develops work plans to implement the tasks.
• Prepares Board items and other reports.
• Prepares and oversees Requests for Proposals for grant consultants; oversees performance of consultants.
• Prepares and monitors project budgets.
• Pursues all available grant funding opportunities to support Permit Sonoma department work.
• Performs project tracking, reporting, and audit requirements; ensures that all subsequent activities will comply with CEQA and NEPA requirements.
The primary duties of the Department Analyst are as follows:
• Assists with Grant preparation and reporting
• Research, analyze, and present project data, orally and in writing
• Schedules and coordinates the Fire Prevention Division’s defensible space inspection program. This includes validation of collected field data and synthesizing into a report.
• Researches, identifies, and creates lists of accepted contractors from whom property owners can solicit bids to accomplish defensible space and structural retrofit recommendations
• Researches and identifies contractors for defensible space inspections
• Manage contracts for defensible space inspections
• Researches, identifies and creates a database of hazardous fuels treatment areas for grant funding opportunities.
• Assists with the implementation of the private property cost share requirement for the Wildfire Adapted Sonoma County grant project.
• Assists with budgets and tracks expenditures
The primary duties of the Marketing Specialist are as follows:
• Researches, creates, and prepares grant outreach and educational materials and presentations
• Presents grant educational information at community outreach meetings
• Posts information on social media
• Compiles and prepares information for grant project specific website(s)
• Researches and schedules venues for meetings
• Takes minutes at public meetings
• Sends meeting invites
• Prepare and send out mailers, letters, etc.
The overall benefit to our community will live on for many generations to come. Even though Sonoma County continues to have the potential for significant wildfire losses, we are collaborating across departments to take proactive steps to prepare residents for and reduce risk from future wildfires. In order to accomplish tangible mitigation goals and to reduce reliance on the County General Fund, Permit Sonoma is pursuing all available recovery and resilience related funding opportunities.
The grant proposals that Permit Sonoma is administering have the co-equal goals of implementing activities in the Recovery and Resiliency Framework and meeting County leadership priorities. The implementation of these positions is in support and service of the Board’s Strategic Priorities of housing for all, the rebuilding of our infrastructure and the securing of our safety net as it will work in a collaborative fashion toward those ends.
The requested time-limited positions are critical to the efficient and effective implementation of complex grant programs.
Prior Board Actions:
September 24, 2019: Board Action #12: Resolution 19-0395 authorizing the County Administrator’s Office to execute two grant agreements with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, administered by the California Office of Emergency Services.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 19-20 Adopted |
FY20-21 Projected |
FY 21-22 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$135,037 |
$574,589 |
$466,106 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
|
|
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
101,278 |
430,942 |
349,580 |
|
Fees/Other |
33,759 |
143,647 |
116,526 |
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$135,037 |
$574,589 |
$597,573 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The total cost of the three time-limited positions is $1,179,120. The cost will be funded seventy five percent (75%) or $884,340 by grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program(s) that are administered by the California Office of Emergency Services, and twenty five percent (25%) or $294,780 from the HMGP reserve established by the Board of Supervisors.
Permit Sonoma is not requesting additional general fund contribution; these time-limited positions will be funded entirely by grant revenue and related local match. Therefore, there will be no need for increased ongoing general fund contribution to fund the 3.0 FTE time-limited allocations through FY 2022-23.
General Fund Reserve Recovery and Resiliency set aside funds will be transferred, and offsetting revenue and expenditure appropriations for these positions will be appropriated as part of the FY 2019-20 third quarter consolidated budget adjustment process.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
Department Program Manager |
$6,558.27 - $7,972.80 |
1.0 FTE |
|
|
Department Analyst |
$5,790.02 - $7,038.81 |
1.0 FTE |
|
|
Marketing Specialist |
$5,228.24 - $6,355.28 |
1.0 FTE |
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
Permit Sonoma: There will be no negative impact to existing staff. Once positions are allocated at the appropriate level, Permit Sonoma will have the flexibility to utilize the most appropriate staffing model for to fill the FEMA HMGP grant requirements
Attachments:
Att 1 Personnel Resolution
Att 2 Proposed Organizational Chart
Att 3 PCR Position Change Detail From FY2019-20
Att 4 PCR Request # 26010122 and 26030100
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
Resolution 19-0395