Adopt resolution authorizing the Director of Community Services to enter into an agreement with Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (“OPR”) in the amount of $598,420 for the period of June 2024 through June 2026 for the development of the Yolo County Regional Resilience Collaborative (Collaborative) as part of OPR’s Regional Resilience Grant Program; and authorize the Director of Community Services to take all other actions related to the Collaborative, including to sign the agreements, approve payments, and take other actions necessary to establish the Collaborative. (No general fund impact) (Lindbo/Olsen)

In 2020, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 20-114, Resolution Declaring a Climate Crisis Requiring an Urgent and Inclusive Mobilization in Yolo County, which set the goal of meeting a carbon-negative footprint by 2030 while centering equity and ensuring a Just Transition. The County has since been engaged in the development of the 2030 Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) (projected to be adopted in fall 2024), in partnership with the Yolo County Climate Action Commission (YCCAC), an Equity and Engagement Technical Advisory Committee, and a Natural and Working Lands Technical Advisory Committee, as well as a diverse team of Countywide partners. A key goal of the CAAP is the development of strong partnerships with Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, UC Davis, the incorporated cities, as well as community-based organizations (CBOs) serving the County’s most vulnerable communities. This goal reflects the County’s unique role in coordinating climate resilience projects across jurisdictions.

From April 2023 to July 2023, Yolo County staff and Yolo County Climate Action Commission members coordinated 23 outreach events and 18 public presentations to inform the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) Update, engaging with hundreds of community members, and receiving more than 600 survey responses. Ninety-five percent of respondents expressed concern about climate change, yet only 28% felt prepared to respond to climate risks. Yolo County learned that community members want local jurisdictions to collaborate and align priorities, as well as strengthen leadership, knowledge, and access to resources in vulnerable communities to increase their ability to receive funding and implement projects that improve resilience. While local governments and other community-based organizations in Yolo County informally collaborate on climate resilience efforts, there is no formal structure, funding, or staffing to support this effort. Existing regional collaboratives are large (i.e., at a six-county scale) and do not provide the local lens needed in a rural, under-resourced County like Yolo. 

On December 21, 2023, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) notified Yolo County of their award for being selected as a Round 1 Grantee for the Regional Resilience Grant Program (RRGP) in the amount of $598,420. With this funding, Yolo County, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, University of California at Davis (UC Davis), the Cities of Davis and Woodland, Cool Davis, and Valley Vision (Regional Partners) aim to establish the Collaborative, which builds not only on recent CAAP outreach, but also on more than 15 years of conversations with the Yolo Climate Compact, the Yolo Resiliency Collaborative, the Yolo County Climate Action Commission, and through the development of recent/previous County and City CAAPs.

Yolo County and Regional Partners will engage the community to 1) develop a needs assessment that identifies shared resilience priorities related to climate risks, including wildfire, extreme heat, drought, and flooding, 2) create a governance structure for the proposed Collaborative to achieve these shared priorities, and 3) develop a funding and implementation strategy to build staff capacity and facilitate ongoing collaborative work in Yolo County, including implementing climate-resilient projects. The Regional Partners will focus on identifying shared priorities for addressing climate risks impacting vulnerable communities and will ensure vulnerable communities have a decision-making role in the Collaborative.   

Community Services Department, General Services Department, the City of Woodland, the City of Davis, the University of California, Davis, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, Cool Davis, Valley Vision.

RFP process to be conducted upon approval of Grant Agreement with the Governor's Office of Planning and Research. Community Services will follow all procurement policies and procedure when the procurement of said projects start.

All co-applicants:
County Counsel