TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Ryan J. Alsop, County Executive Officer
REPORT BY: Celeste Gonzalez, Management Analyst
SUBJECT: Receive a presentation on the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
RECOMMENDATION
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Receive a presentation on the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). (No Fiscal Impact)
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BACKGROUND
Napa County was awarded $26.86 million of federal stimulus funds per the American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) to address the impacts of COVID-19 on the community. Here is a summary with more explanation following.
Category 1 - Public Health $ 5,796,364
Category 2 - Negative Economic Impacts $ 6,075,000
Category 3 - Public Sector Impacts $11,167,039
Category 5 - Infrastructure $ 3,738,245
Category 7 - Administration $ 78,509
The priority of ARPA was to ensure public health services were provided. Most of the operational costs were funded by state grants; however, the funds provided isolation and quarantine facilities for congregate-housed persons, housed farmworkers, and other disproportionately impoverished individuals within the County; secured Public Health items related to mitigation and prevention of COVID-19 within the confines of the state and federal emergency declarations, and within the County's established operating procedures; funded County labor associated with vaccine administration and promotion as directed by County's Deputy Director of HHSA/ Public Health Officer in adherence to County, State, and Federal health guidelines and pandemic protocols; supported direct mental health services in Napa County, delivered by the County's Health and Human Services Agency; and preparation of the After-Action Report (AAR) which focused on strengths and weaknesses with regard to processes, procedures, and capabilities regarding Napa County’s response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
ARPA funds next addressed negative economic impacts to the community and the County. In October 2021, Burbank Housing - with support from the City and County of Napa - submitted a successful application to the Project Homekey Round Two NOFA, proposing a conversion of the property from motel to permanent supportive housing providing 54 units of very-low-income (30% AMI or below) housing for individuals exiting homelessness, and one unrestricted managers unit, for a period of 55-years. In June 2023 the Board approved applications for the Childcare Forgivable Loan program totaling $3.8 million after procuring a childcare needs assessment as follows: $1.1 million to Nature’s Way Montessori, LLC for property purchase, $1.2 million to Le Petit Elephant for a property purchase, $750,000 to Little Ivy Childcare LLC for facility improvements, and $250,000 each to Children’s Adventure Home Daycare, Narvaez Family Childcare, and Bohan Family Childcare for home property purchases. County beneficiary grants further supported local non-profits that experienced a negative economic impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The County booked the Standard Allowance within the guidelines of the US Treasury's Final Rule. County impacts also included reimbursement of supplemental paid sick leave for any County employee exposed to or diagnosed with COVID-19 as directed under the Governor's executive order; and activation costs of Emergency Operation Center related to pandemic response. The County then allocated $3 million of the general fund to supplement HHSA’s Master Settlement Agreement community grants and $6 million for the Affordable Accessory Dwelling Unit Forgivable Loan program. Claims for grant administrative costs were discontinued once the standard allowance was booked.
The final bucket of funding was designated to improve water, sewer, and broadband facilities. The County allocated funds to a recycled water system expansion project with the City of American Canyon; a Napa Sanitation District project to design and perform environmental analysis of a recycled water pump station for clean water conservation; and Lake Berryessa Resort Improvement District (LBRID) critical water infrastructure project for drinking water treatment and a centralized wastewater collection and conveyance project. LBRID projects are near completion. The County allocated funding to offset costs of a Broadband Project Manager.
Current ongoing projects include Broadband, LBRID, and Childcare with only $508,323 in unspent ARPA funds. Staff is confident that the unspent ARPA funds will be expended by the December 2026 grant deadline. Interest earned on the unspent funds will be transferred to the General Fund at the conclusion of processing grant activity per grant guidelines.
Procedural Requirements:
No Action Required
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
No |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California
Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.