Approve American Rescue Plan (ARP) Community Benefit Grant proposal for Sustainability Division for an additional $20,500 to fund a contract with a grant writing firm that specializes in climate funding; delegate authority to staff to enter into the necessary agreements, and delegate authority to the Manager of Procurement to sign the agreements. (No general fund impact) (Brazil/Espitia)

On July 25, 2023, the Board of Supervisors received an update on the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and a set of recommendations from staff for the use of remaining funding. At that time, staff recommended setting aside $500,000 for the Community Benefit Equal Allocation Plan. The Plan equally allocated a portion of that funding to each of the five supervisorial districts, allowing each Supervisor to provide grants to local Community-Based Organizations (CBO) operating within their districts. The Board approved the plan at that meeting, further augmenting the funding to $750,000. On June 4, 2024, the Board approved an additional $25,000 per supervisorial district and increased the total amount to $875,000. 

A brief description of the funding proposal follows: 

Sustainability Division
This agreement with the Department of Community Services would provide an additional $20,500 from District 4 for the Sustainability Division to enter into a contract with a grant writing firm that specializes in climate funding space. Adding to the $50,000 already committed for this effort by Supervisor Provenza's Office, this allocation would enable the Sustainability Division to conduct a Request for Proposals (RFP) for an amount not-to-exceed $70,500 to support climate action grant writing. Based on our experience, with $70,500, the Sustainability Division would have enough funding to develop a grant strategy to fund our Phase I CAAP (Climate Action and Adaptation Plan) Priority actions and apply for up to 6 grants in 2025. Based on past experience, using a grant-writing consultant with a climate action specialty will enhance the County's chances of a high return on investment.

Recommended Action
Staff is requesting authority to complete and sign the agreement with the named organization in the amount described above. The agreement will utilize the language shown in Att. A. Agreement Template.

Grant recipients are selected by the Supervisor's Districts and reviewed by the County Administrator's Office. County Counsel and the Department of Financial Services reviewed and approved the benefit agreement language in Att. A. Agreement Template.

The respective Supervisors' District staff review potential beneficiaries of the available ARP funding, and the Supervisor selects beneficiaries and funding amounts. District Staff then begin preparation of the agreements. The County Administrator's Office reviews the spending proposals and verifies that the proposed beneficiary meets any necessary requirements under federal and state laws. The proposal is then brought to the Board for delegation of authority to complete and sign the agreement in advance of any funding disbursement.