Approve American Rescue Plan agreement with Esparto Unified School District for the construction of a new inclusive preschool not to exceed $200,000 for the period of May 1, 2022, through August 31, 2022; and approve American Rescue Plan agreement with Meals on Wheels Yolo for Operation Accelerate Initiative for Seniors not to exceed $200,000 for the period of May 1, 2022, through April 30, 2023. (No general fund impact) (Rinde/Will)

On September 28, 2021, the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the initial American Rescue Plan (ARP) Expenditure Plan, which included $5,500,000 for the Children, Youth, and Families Priority Category and $3,000,000 for the Food Security Category. County staff and the ARP subject matter expert workgroups discussed proposals received and recommended projects for each of these areas at the February 22, 2022, and January 25, 2022 meetings, respectively, with the Board approving both concepts. Since then, staff has worked with the Esparto Joint Unified School District and Meals on Wheels to develop these contracts for approval.

Funding this contract with Esparto Joint Unified will support the construction of an inclusive preschool that is projected to open in Fall 2022 and serve 3 and 4-year-old students. This facility would include space for open instruction of 24 preschool students and will share space with a nurse's aide and occupational therapist, and will be outfitted to enable occupational therapy exercises and therapies to serve the specific disability identified by the district. Furthermore, the contract, Attachment A of this staff report, indicates the performance measures and outcomes associated with this process. This would include tracking the completion of construction, how many new students are served in this inclusive setting, and the average attendance in the classroom for children with disabilities. The project is already close to completion and is anticipated to be completed in August 2022. More information about this contract including a statement of work, budget, and performance measures may be found in Attachment A of this staff report.

Funding this contract would enable the Operation Accelerate initiative, which seeks to more than double the number of food insecure and/or mobility-limited Yolo County seniors receiving Meals on Wheels Yolo County’s meal services to ~800 recipients by the end of Quarter 1 in the calendar year 2023, to do so more nutritiously and more equitably, and to build the capacity and organization fortitude required to elevate seniors’ health and wellness outcomes, especially in rural areas and underserved neighborhoods. This would be achieved through the purchase of one walk-in refrigerator/freezer unit, one delivery van equipped for rural services, and extended safe delivery of prepared meals to homes in remote areas, including Dunnigan, Clarksburg, and Capay Valley. This project would track several performance measures and outcomes, including how many seniors receive five meals per week, reported elevated access to healthy meals, and additional delivery routes established throughout Yolo County. More information about this contract including a statement of work, budget, and performance measures may be found in Attachment A of this staff report.