REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
February 27, 2024
FROM
LUTHER SNOKE, Chief Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
SUBJECT
Title
Board of Supervisors Discretionary Fund - District Specific Priorities Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve contract with the Town of Yucca Valley to provide American Rescue Plan Act funding in the amount of $3,904,598 for the Aquatics and Recreation Center Project, for the contract term of February 27, 2024, through December 31, 2026.
2. Approve contract with the Town of Yucca Valley to contribute funding for the Aquatics and Recreation Center Project in the amount of $1,095,402 from the District Specific Priorities Program budget, for the contract term of February 27, 2024, through December 31, 2026.
3. Approve contract with the City of Yucaipa to contribute funding for the construction of a new Yucaipa Library, in an amount not-to-exceed $1,000,000, for the contract term of February 27, 2024, through February 26, 2028.
4. Approve contract with the New Hope Village, Inc. to contribute funding for the New H.O.P.E. Mobile Food Distribution and Transitional Housing programs, in an amount not-to-exceed $100,000, for the contract term of February 27, 2024, through February 26, 2025.
5. Approve contract with The Roman Catholic Bishop of San Bernardino to contribute funding for the Food Ministry program administered by St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, in the amount of $50,000, for the contract term of February 27, 2024, through February 26, 2025.
6. Approve contract with the City of Colton to provide funding to purchase 10 Motorola Mobile Radios, including necessary accessories and software, for the City of Colton Fire Department, in an amount not-to-exceed $100,000, for the contract term of February 27, 2024, through February 26, 2025.
7. Approve contract with the City of Colton to provide funding to purchase seven drones and ballistic shields, including necessary accessories and identifying decals, for the City of Colton Police Department, in an amount not-to-exceed $160,000, for the contract term of February 27, 2024, through February 26, 2025.
8. Find it is in the best interest of the County to waive the requirement in Policy 05-10 for government agencies to make a financial matching contribution of at least 25% of the proposed project, program and/or initiative cost for Recommendation Nos. 2, 3, 6 and 7.
(Presenter: Luther Snoke, Chief Executive Officer, 387-4811)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). On September 21, 2021 (Item No. 18), November 16, 2021 (Item No. 33), and February 6, 2024 (Item No. 61), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved an allocation of $4 million, $7 million, and $6 million, respectively, to the Board Discretionary Fund - District Specific Priorities Program (Priorities Program), for each of the five supervisorial districts for projects that meet a public purpose, and provide services to citizens that promote health, safety, economic well-being, and other public services that enhance quality of life and meet the needs of County residents. On an annual basis, unspent appropriations for discretionary funding will be carried over into the subsequent year’s budget.
Recommendation No. 1 will authorize the use of $3,904,598 from the County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (Recovery Fund), specifically the Third District’s ARPA Recovery Fund, to fund eligible costs for the Aquatics and Recreation Center Project. Recommendation No. 2 allocates $1,095,402 from the Third District’s Priorities Program budget also for the Aquatics and Recreation Center Project. At the recommendation of the Third District Board Office, the Aquatics and Recreation Center Project is approved to proceed and be partially funded in the amount of $3,904,598 by the Third District’s ARPA Recovery Fund. Project costs may include design of the plans and specifications and subsequent construction. Recommendation Nos. 3 and 4 will be funded by the Third District’s Priorities Program budget. Recommendation No. 5 will be funded by the Fourth District Priorities Program budget, and any costs incurred as a result of this recommendation will be reimbursed from the Fourth District ARPA allocation under the Revenue Replacement expenditure category. Recommendation Nos. 6 and 7 will be funded by the Fifth District’s Priorities Program budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Priorities Program projects help promote the vision of a complete County by recognizing the unique traits of each Supervisorial District and, thereby, allow individual Board Districts to work with community partners through County services and contractual agreements to identify programs, projects, and initiatives that support the vision, meet a public purpose and provide services to residents that promote health, safety, economic well-being, education, recreation, and other public services that enhance quality of life, and meet the needs of the County’s residents. Projects under the District Specific Priorities Program are based on District Supervisor discretion and are presented by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Board approval.
On March 11, 2021, ARPA was signed into law that established the $350 billion Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund to distribute resources to state and local governments throughout the nation. The Aquatics and Recreation Center Project was identified by the County’s ARPA team as being eligible for ARPA funding and is consistent with the San Bernardino County Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Spending Plan that was approved by the Board on June 8, 2021 (Item No. 121).
The Aquatics and Recreation Center Project, which is estimated at $30,000,000, will mainly be funded through a grant included in Proposition 68, the California Parks and Water Bond Act. Proposition 68, passed through a ballot measure in 2018, provides assistance for drought, water, parks, climate, coastal protection, and outdoor access for government sponsored programs.
Recommendation Nos. 1 and 2 assist the Third District Supervisor in supporting County residents by providing funding to the Town of Yucca Valley for the Aquatics and Recreation Center Project. Additionally, the Town of Yucca Valley will charge all San Bernardino County residents who reside outside of the Town of Yucca Valley the reduced Town of Yucca Valley resident facility use surcharge fee for 10 years beginning the date the Aquatics and Recreation Center opens to the public. This Project serves the public purpose of providing for the social, educational, recreational, public health, and economic needs of County residents as the Aquatics and Recreation Center will integrate with existing recreational facilities at Brehm Park to enhance the experience of residents at both facilities. The County is providing funding toward the construction of the Aquatics and Recreation Center, and the funding will not be used for the ongoing operation and maintenance of the center.
The City of Yucaipa and its surrounding communities, including Oak Glen, have outgrown the existing library, which was built in 1969. Recommendation No. 3 assists the Third District Supervisor with meeting the educational and social service needs of County residents by providing funding for the construction of a new 18,000 square foot library with modern Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility to replace the existing Yucaipa Library.
New Hope Village, Inc. (New Hope Village) is a non-profit located in Barstow, which has provided programs and services to the high desert communities for the past 25 years. The communities served by New Hope Village are historically undeserved and economically disadvantaged. New Hope Village operates the New H.O.P.E. Mobile Food Distribution program, which was created to mitigate food insecurity for families in the service area. This program provides bags of fresh and healthy foods to families on a weekly basis. Additionally, New Hope Village operates a 10-unit apartment building and provides transitional housing assistance to homeless individuals and families. Through the housing program, participants are provided with wraparound services to support a successful transition from homelessness. Approval of Recommendation No. 4 will establish a new contract to provide funding to New Hope Village for the New H.O.P.E. Mobile Food Distribution and Transitional Housing programs and assists the Third District Supervisor with the public purpose of providing for the health, social service, and nutritional needs of County residents.
Recommendation No. 5 assists the Fourth District Supervisor with meeting the social service and nutritional needs of County residents by providing funding to assist the St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church located in Chino Hills, a parish of The Roman Catholic Bishop of San Bernardino, to support its Food Ministry program (Program). The Program provides food to 1,250 community members throughout the year during four major holiday food distribution events. County residents will be served by efforts to mitigate food insecurity through the Program.
Recommendation No. 6 assists the Fifth District Supervisor with the public purpose of providing for the health, public safety, and emergency response needs of County residents by providing funding to the City of Colton to purchase 10 Motorola Mobile Radios, including necessary accessories and software, for use in the field. This equipment will continue to ensure quick and effective communication when the City of Colton Fire Department is responding to first responder calls.
Recommendation No. 7 assists the Fifth District Supervisor with the public purpose of providing for the health, public safety, law enforcement and emergency response needs of County residents by providing funding to the City of Colton for the purchase of seven drones and three ballistic shields, including necessary accessories and identifying decals, to enhance law enforcement operations for missing persons, search and rescue, and at large community events.
On February 6, 2024 (Item No. 61), the Board approved the amended County Policy Manual, Policy 05-10: Board Discretionary Funding Allocations. The contract terms of Recommendation Nos. 2, 3, 6 and 7 were negotiated prior to the approval of the amended Policy 05-10. Recommendation No. 8 finds it is in the best interest of the County to waive Policy 05-10 requiring government agencies to make a financial matching contribution of at least 25% of the proposed project, program and/or initiative cost for Recommendation Nos. 2, 3, 6 and 7.
Under the Board Discretionary Fund Priorities Program contract terms, the CEO, at the direction of the identified Supervisor, may extend the term of the contract, in writing, under the following conditions:
a. In aggregate all extensions do not exceed 12 calendar months;
b. Is specifically requested by the contractor;
c. Will not change the project goals or scope of services;
d. Is in the best interest of the County and contractor in performing the scope of services under the contract; and
e. Does not alter the amount of compensation under the contract.
Board discretionary funding allocations under the Priorities Program with community partners that include non-profit organizations, government entities, or educational institutions are non-competitive and must be for projects or services of $50,000 or more. Contracts shall be paid on a lump-sum basis or under other terms as approved by the Board.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Julie Surber, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on February 5, 2024; Finance (Stephanie Maldonado, Administrative Analyst, 387-4348, and Guy Martinez, ARPA Compliance Analyst, 387-5428) on February 2, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Paloma Hernandez-Barker, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on February 9, 2024.