REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 24, 2022
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT
Title
Grant Award from the Association of Public Health Laboratories for Wastewater Based Epidemiology Testing Project and Budget Adjustment
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Accept and approve grant award agreement (Grant Agreement No. 56300-250-311-22-02) from the Association of Public Health Laboratories, with a non-standard term, for the Wastewater-Based Epidemiology testing project to support effective wastewater surveillance methods and population monitoring, in the amount of $34,938 for the period of April 21, 2022 through June 15, 2022.
2. Designate the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Chief Executive Officer, or Director of the Department of Public Health to accept and execute any subsequent non-substantive amendments in relation to the Wastewater-Based Epidemiology testing project grant award agreement (Grant Agreement No. 56300-250-311-22-02), on behalf of the County, subject to review by County Counsel.
3. Direct the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Chief Executive Officer, or Director of the Department of Public Health to transmit all non-substantive amendments in relation to the Wastewater-Based Epidemiology testing project grant award agreement (Grant Agreement No. 56300-250-311-22-02) to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
4. Authorize the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector to post the adjustments to the Department of Public Health’s 2021-22 budget as indicated in the Financial Impact Section (Four votes required).
(Presenter: Joshua Dugas, Director, 387-9146)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
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
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The grant award in the amount of $34,938 from the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) for the Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) testing project is funded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and does not require a local match. The Department of Public Health (DPH) is requesting the following adjustment to the 2021-22 budget:
|
Fund Center |
Commitment Item/GL Account |
Description |
Action |
Amount |
|
9300001000 |
52002840 |
Medical Expense |
Increase |
$28,438 |
|
9300001000 |
54404040 |
Equipment |
Increase |
$6,500 |
|
9300001000 |
40509155 |
Federal - Pass Through |
Increase |
$34,938 |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
APHL, a nonprofit organization, is providing one-time CDC funding to local health jurisdictions to enhance and/or develop wastewater surveillance capability and capacity in environmental laboratories. The objective of the WBE testing project is to assist health laboratories wastewater testing effort by supporting effective wastewater surveillance methods and population monitoring at the local level. A key factor to this support is to equip health laboratories with the necessary materials to enhance and/or develop WBE surveillance efforts. The DPH Laboratory will use the grant funding to improve surveillance of infectious disease in underserved communities as a preventive care measure, as well as to purchase enhancements to existing laboratory equipment. The identified needs include improving disease control response and surveillance using WBE early detection techniques, developing high throughput methods to use WBE for COVID-19 incidence tracking and variant surveillance, and training DPH Communicable Disease and DPH Laboratory staff on new WBE protocols and procedures.
Under the terms of the grant agreement, the DPH Laboratory will work with other agencies, such as Loma Linda University Wastewater Based Epidemiology Research Laboratory and DPH Communicable Disease Section, in underserved neighborhoods to collect wastewater samples. Once collected, DPH Laboratory will develop methods for concentration, detection, and sequencing of coronavirus using high throughput systems. Ultimately, the goal will be to analyze WBE samples from 45 different collection sites per week. Anticipated grant expenditures will include medical supplies (masks, face shields, gloves, etc.), sample collection supplies and equipment (coolers, containers, test tubes, enhancement parts, etc.), consumables and mix substances for testing.
On March 1, 2022 (Item No. 43), the Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of the ThermoScientific KingFisher Apex Purification System, an unbudgeted fixed asset, from Fisher Healthcare, in the amount of $80,346. The increase to the Equipment category in the Financial Impact table will allow DPH to purchase a magnet head attachment for this existing piece of equipment.
On March 3, 2022, the County Administrative Office authorized the submission of an application to APHL for CDC funds for the WBE Project, in the requested amount of $62,452, for the anticipated period of February 28, 2022 through June 17, 2022.
On April 15, 2022, DPH received Grant Agreement No. 56300-250-311-22-02 from APHL for the WBE Project, in the amount of $34,938, for the period of April 21, 2022 through June 15, 2022. The grant award was less than requested as it was later determined that wastewater test development and validation could be completed in 20 weeks instead of 52 weeks, requiring fewer test supplies.
The grant agreement with APHL includes the following term that differs from the standard County contract terms:
The County is required to indemnify APHL against third party claims.
• The County standard contract does not include any indemnification or defense by the County of a Contractor.
• Potential Impact: By agreeing to indemnify APHL, the County could be contractually waiving the protection of sovereign immunity. Claims that may otherwise be barred against the County, time limited, or expense limited could be brought against APHL without such limitations and the County would be responsible to defend and reimburse APHL for costs, expenses, and damages, which could exceed the total contract amount.
This item is being presented at this time as DPH received the grant agreement from APHL on April 15, 2022, and this is the first available date following the required operational, fiscal, and legal reviews. Approval at this time will not impact DPH services or activities.
PROCUREMENT
Purchases will be made in accordance with County policy.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 16, 2022; Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Charlene Huang, Supervising Accountant, 382-7022) on May 13, 2022; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on May 16, 2022; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on May 16, 2022.