REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
November 5, 2024
FROM
LUTHER SNOKE, Chief Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
SUBJECT
Title
Ratification Actions in Response to American Rescue Plan Act - Subrecipient Contracts
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Ratify the Chief Executive Officer’s exercise of the authority granted by the Board of Supervisors on March 1, 2022, Item No. 32, in approving the following contracts with the subrecipients for American Rescue Plan Act funding for eligible projects in accordance with the Board of Supervisors approved Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Spending Plan:
1. Contract No. ARPA21-PRJC-052-HES with the City of Hesperia for the Hesperia Traffic Signal Construction Project, in the not-to-exceed amount of $625,000, for the contract term of July 30, 2024 through December 31, 2026.
2. Contract No. ARPA21-PRJC-053-HES with the City of Hesperia for the Hesperia Ranchero Corridor Project, in the not-to-exceed amount of $750,000, for the contract term of July 16, 2024 through December 31, 2026.
(Presenter: Luther Snoke, Chief Executive Officer, 387-4811)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
Focus on Recovery and Resiliency Following Major Emergency Responses such as the December 2, 2015 Terrorist Attack (SB Strong) and the Global COVID-19 Pandemic.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). San Bernardino County received a direct allocation of $423.5 million under the American Rescue Plan Act - Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (ARPA Fund) to bolster the County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact. The Board of Supervisors (Board) approved an expenditure plan for the use of these funds, known as the County Local Fiscal Recovery Spending Plan (Spending Plan), on June 8, 2021 (Item No. 121) and amended the plan on August 24, 2021 (Item No. 21). At the recommendation of the First District Board Office, these projects are approved to proceed and be funded by the District’s ARPA Fund. Sufficient appropriation is included in the ARPA Fund’s 2024-25 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law and established the $350 billion Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund to distribute resources to state and local governments throughout the nation.
The County established an ARPA Team who reviews all potential projects to determine eligibility for ARPA funding and if the project and use is in accordance with the Board approved Spending Plan. When projects are deemed eligible, then the ARPA Team works with the subrecipients to determine subrecipient compliance with ARPA guidelines, and subsequently initiates the contract process. On March 1, 2022 (Item No. 32), the Board authorized the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to execute the Board-approved standard ARPA contract template with subrecipients and directed that ARPA contracts executed by the CEO be brought back to the Board for ratification within 30 days of contract execution. Monthly reporting has been provided to the Board detailing the status of ARPA contracts.
The City of Hesperia’s (City) intersection at Seventh Avenue and Sequoia Street only has stop signs along Sequoia Street. The Hesperia Traffic Signal Construction Project will improve safety and traffic movements at this vital intersection within the community to better meet circulation goals. Projected expenditure of $625,000 will fund the improvement of the Seventh Avenue and Sequoia Street intersection by adding a new signal, lighting, and any necessary roadway widening to accommodate turn pockets. The First District Board Office recommended proceeding with executing this project contract with the City. This contract was executed by the CEO on October 15, 2024.
In addition, the City is making improvements to Ranchero Road, expanding it from two lanes to four lanes in each direction from Mariposa to Seventh Avenue. To support the additional lanes, the bridge crossing the Department of Water Resources aqueduct will be removed and replaced with a new bridge to accommodate the future design of three lanes in each direction. The Hesperia Ranchero Road Corridor Project’s projected expenditure of $750,000 will fund the demolition and removal of the existing bridge. The First District Board Office recommended proceeding with executing this project contract with the City. This contract was executed by the CEO on October 15, 2024.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Julie Surber, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 15, 2024; Purchasing (Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2070) on October 16, 2024; Risk Management (Loretta Acuña, Staff Analyst II, 386-9039) on October 16, 2024; Finance (Joon Cho, Chief Administrative Analyst, 387-5402) on October 15, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Erickson, County Chief Financial Officer, 387-5423) on October 17, 2024.