REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 23, 2023
FROM
LEONARD X. HERNANDEZ, 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 Contract No. ARPA21-PRJC-023-APP with the Town of Apple Valley for the Bear Valley Road Bridge Project in the not-to-exceed amount of $538,900 for the contract term of June 1, 2023 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.
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, this project is approved to proceed and be funded by the First District ARPA CLFRF. Sufficient appropriation is included in the ARPA Fund’s 2022-23 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, 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.
The Bear Valley Road Bridge Project (Project) is a $42.5 million effort with the Town of Apple Valley, City of Hesperia, City of Victorville, and San Bernardino County Flood Control District (District) to widen the bridge and improve the median, shoulders, sidewalks, and bikeway. The District’s share of cost for this Project is $851,400, which will be used to construct stormwater management infrastructure. Of the District’s share of cost, $538,900 will be covered by the County’s ARPA allocation. The Project is situated near multiple Qualified Census Tracts, and the proposed use of these funds is consistent with eligible stormwater infrastructure uses identified in the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program. The First District Board Office recommended to proceed with this Project contract with the Town of Apple Valley. This contract was executed by the CEO on May 9, 2023.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Julie Surber, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 9, 2023; Purchasing (Michelle Churchill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2070) on May 9, 2023; Risk Management (Victor Tordesillas, Director, 387-5564) on May 9, 2023; Finance (Guy Martinez, ARPA Compliance Analyst, 387-5428, and Joon Cho, Administrative Analyst, 387-5402) on May 9, 2023; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Erickson, County Chief Financial Officer, 387-5423) on May 10, 2023.