REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 9, 2022
FROM
LEONARD X. HERNANDEZ, Chief Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
SUBJECT
Title
Ratification Actions in Response to American Rescue Plan Act - Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund 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 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-007-TWE with the City of Twentynine Palms for the Twentynine Palms Sewer Project in the not-to-exceed amount of $1,000,000 for the contract term of July 1, 2022 through December 31, 2026.
2. Contract No. ARPA21-PRJC-009-YUC with the City of Yucaipa for the Upper Wildwood Creek Basin Project in the not-to-exceed amount of $880,000 for the contract term of July 12, 2022 through December 31, 2026.
(Presenter: Leonard X. Hernandez, Chief Executive Officer, 387-4811)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Create, Maintain and Grow Jobs and Economic Value in the County.
Improve County Government Operations.
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). Sufficient appropriation is included in the ARPA Fund’s 2022-23 budget.
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 are 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.
Twentynine Palms Sewer Project - City of Twentynine Palms
The scope for the Twentynine Palms Sewer Project includes the final design of approximately 68,000 feet of sewer pipelines for a portion of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 wastewater collection system for the City of Twentynine Palms (City), which is based on a proposed wastewater treatment plant located near the intersection of Amboy Road and Desert Knoll Avenue. A total project cost approximately ranges from $4.2 million to $5.5 million and the request for County’s ARPA funding in the not-to-exceed amount of $1 million is for the final design of the Collection System (full design), Wastewater Treatment Plant (30% design), and/or right of way acquisition. As to economic impact, the City is working towards getting “shovel ready” to access funding in 2023, substantial funding, that will reduce the economic burden for the community that has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the City’s population growth continues and more lands are urbanized, water usage and therefore, septic loading within the service area is anticipated to increase. The Third District Board Office recommended to proceed with executing this project contract with the City. This contract was executed by the CEO on July 22, 2022.
Upper Wildwood Creek Basin Project - City of Yucaipa
The Upper Wildwood Creek Basin Project site is identified in the City of Yucaipa’s Master Plan of Drainage (MPD) as a suitable location for a local detention basin facility to support the Wildwood Creek drainage system. The proposed basin project is located south of Wildwood Canyon Road and just east of Oak View Drive in the City of Yucaipa. This project will not only benefit the surrounding environment by implementing measures to increase erosion and flood control protection within the area, but also facilitate groundwater recharge opportunities, improve downstream water quality, and together with other channel improvements and basin projects constructed in recent years, help to protect downstream public and private properties from flooding. The project is a flow-through retention/detention system; meaning the basin will temporarily store a specified volume of stormwater runoff before it begins to discharge the stormwater at a controlled rate. It will have an estimated stormwater capacity of 25 acre-feet (8.1 million gallons) and is anticipated to capture and recharge approximately 250 acre-feet of stormwater during an average rainfall year. The Third District Board Office recommended to proceed with executing this project contract with the City of Yucaipa. This contract was executed by the CEO on July 22, 2022.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Julie Surber, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on August 2, 2022; Purchasing (Michelle Churchill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2070) on August 2, 2022; Risk Management (Victor Tordesillas, Director, 387-5564) on August 2, 2022; Finance (Guy Martinez, ARPA Compliance Analyst, 387-5428, and Joon Cho, Administrative Analyst, 387-5402) on August 2, 2022; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Erickson, County Chief Financial Officer, 387-5423) on August 2, 2022.