Agenda

Return

D.4

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	David Twa, County Administrator
Date:	December 18, 2018

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

2020 CENSUS UPDATE AND NEXT STEPS

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 12/18/2018

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

See Addendum

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Kristine Solseng 925-674-7809 or Barbara Riveira 925-335-1018

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: December 18, 2018
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

RECEIVE presentation on the status of Census 2020 and next steps.

CONSIDER adopting Resolution No. 2018/592 proclaiming Board of Supervisors' support of, and participation in, the 2020 Census, and authorizing the County Administrator to execute the County-Optional Outreach Agreement with the State, which will make the County eligible to receive up to $362,605 during fiscal years 2018-19 and 2019-20.

RECOMMENDATION(S): (CONT'D)

CONSIDER establishing a Complete Count Steering Committee and appointing a member of the Board of Supervisors to serve as the chairperson of the Committee through 2020.

CONSIDER directing the Complete Count Steering Committee to develop a preliminary strategic plan and budget, and report back to the Board of Supervisors by March 26, 2019 to obtain further direction.

5. APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to sign letters to the Contra Costa City Managers and Municipal Advisory Committees requesting their collaboration in making the complete count effort a success.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The State allocated $26.7 million of its $90 million budget to help California counties fund complete count efforts. Allocations for most counties are based on the number of residents who live in California’s hardest-to-count census tracts within their jurisdictions. By adopting the Resolution and entering into a County-Optional Outreach Agreement with the State, Contra Costa County will become eligible to receive $362,605 to fund local outreach efforts with no local match requirement.

BACKGROUND:

Importance of the Census

As mandated in Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution, every 10 years, the federal government counts all persons living in the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau collects this information, which is then used to determine the number of representatives in Congress each state will have and how $675 billion dollars of federal funds flow to tribal, state and local governments.

Census data is also used to make decisions at every level of government that will affect our communities, e.g. siting of schools, hospitals, libraries, and public services. Businesses rely on Census data for planning future locations for retail stores, new housing developments and other business decisions.

It is of utmost importance that Contra Costa County achieve a full count. An under count could deprive Contra Costa County of millions of dollars in federal funds per year. It is estimate that in California, the annual federal allocation of funding based on census data is estimated at $1,958 per resident per year, according to California Department of Finance. Therefore, an under count of 5000 residents in Contra Costa County represents $9.7 million, and over a ten year period this equates to $97.9 million dollars in investment in the County that could be lost.

What is new for Census 2020

There are two significant changes in the 2020 Decennial Census. First, this is the first time the Census will be online. The new technology will make it easier to respond to the Census because there are more options for self-response (on-line, by phone, and by mail), with the intent of reducing door to door canvassing. With these improvements come some challenges, in particular inequitable access to the internet and concerns about cyber security.

The second significant change is the addition of the citizenship status question and the potential for the question to reduce participation among immigrant communities, especially given the change in the social and political climate. If immigrants shun the Census, it would cause a significant undercount that would affect the number of Congressional seats for California and the amount of federal funding in states and communities with a large number of immigrants. The question is currently being challenged in court by California Attorney General on the grounds it could cause many immigrants to skip the 2020 Census out of fear their information could be used against them, even though it is illegal to share a person's census response with law enforcement or immigration agencies.

Accomplishments to Date

In order to ensure there is a complete count, County staff has already engaged in Census 2020 preparations, including the following:

Department of Conservation and Development (DCD) staff completed the LUCA (Local Update of Census Addresses), which is a once per decade opportunity for local governments to review and update the Census Master Address File (MAF). The MAF is used to mail census forms to every person in the country. If an address is not included, the household will not receive a form. DCD completed LUCA for the unincorporated county area, Antioch, Clayton, Hercules, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Pinole, Pleasant Hill, and San Pablo. The Department of Information Technology (DOIT) provided assistance by reviewing County address files for accuracy and added additional units as needed. DCD also collaborated with East Bay Community Foundation, RYSE, First Five, and Safe Returns to provide on the ground canvassing for unconventional units that may not be in the County Address File. These efforts added approximately 5,700 new housing units to the MAF. Given an estimated 2.85 persons per household in Contra Costa County, the added units represent a potential of $31.7 million per year in funding or $317.2 million for the decade.

The BBSP (Block Boundary Suggestion Project) was also completed in early 2018. This process allows for local input on block boundaries lines to better align with local jurisdictions and geographic features, thus providing better data for local jurisdictions. Over 15,000 line edits were suggested through the BBSP process.

Department of Conservation and Development and County Administrator's Office staff have begun the process required to have an effective complete count including:
- Forming partnerships with federal, state, and local census staff.
- Mapping the hard-to-count population data, and
- Developing a webpage, including an online survey for local community-based organizations (CBOs), city staff, and others fill out. The survey will provide a database of community partners as well as generate outreach ideas.

Complete Count Effort

In order to count every person in the country, the U.S. Census Bureau partners with individual states, local governments, tribal governments, local businesses, CBOs, non-government organizations (NGOs), and faith-based organizations to publicize and support the count. These efforts are referred to as Complete Count and are organized by various Complete Count Committees. See Attachment A for Census Bureau’s 2020 Census Complete Count Committee Guide.

State of California Role in the Complete Count Effort
- With its highly diverse population and large size, the State of California faces the greatest barriers in the nation to ensure that it achieves an accurate count and, thus, receives an equitable share of funding and representation.
- Given the importance of the Census and the various challenges in this Census, the State has committed $90 million to undertake an extensive outreach strategy to encourage full participation among State residents. In support of the strategy, the Governor has created an advisory committee called the California Complete Count Committee (Committee). The Committee is a volunteer panel of 25 community leaders representing diverse populations from across the State. It is charged with raising awareness of the Census, collaborating to support outreach efforts, and offering its expertise and insights on outreach strategies. California’s communication and outreach strategy will focus on both geographic areas and demographic populations who are “least likely to respond”. These areas and populations are commonly referred to as “hard-to-count (HTC)" areas.
- A significant part of California's outreach strategy to reach HTC populations involves partnerships with local governments. Local counties and cities can play a significant role to ensure their populations are aware of the Census and are ready to be counted. The State sent County Administrators an invitation letter via email on November 13, 2018 with funding allocations for each county based on their HTC population. The email also offered the opportunity for counties to “opt-in” to State funding for Census outreach. A copy of the Funding Package from the State is attached (Attachment B). Counties that receive funding from the state will be required to:

Prepare a board resolution, order, motion, ordinance or similar document from the local governing body authorizing execution of the agreement;
Prepare a Strategic Plan;
Participate in a monthly in-person meeting/or call with assigned Regional Program Manager;
Prepare Quarterly Written Reports;
Prepare an Implementation Plan; and
Prepare a Final Report

County Role in the Complete Count Effort
- The County has begun preliminary preparation to convene a Local Government Complete Count Committee (LCCC) with the goal of connecting with trusted voices in the County. The role of an LCCC is to develop and implement a 2020 Census awareness campaign based upon their knowledge of the local community to encourage a response, with particular emphasis on the HTC communities.
- Encouraging and increasing the self-response rate for households responding via internet, by phone, or mailing through a focused, structured, neighbor-to-neighbor program.
- Collaborating with existing organizations that work with HTC populations in the county to create a countywide 2020 Census awareness campaign strategy. The HTC population in Contra Costa County consists of immigrants, minorities, low-income households, non-English speaking households, youths, transients, and unemployed, homeless persons living in unconventional housing, including those who do not trust government. The maps in the PowerPoint (Attachment C) illustrate where various HTC populations live within the county. These areas would be the primary focus on the LCCC effort.

Board Input

In order to best proceed, staff is requesting the Board of Supervisors provide guidance on the 2020 LCCC Structure. In 2010, the LCCC was fairly simple, with a core Steering Committee and three Regional Subcommittees. The Steering Committee was composed by one member of the Board of Supervisors and key staff from the County Administrator's Office, Office of Communication & Media, and the Departments of Conservation and Development, Employment and Human Services, and Health Services. The three Regional Subcommittees (West, Central, and East), included various community organizations, nonprofits, and other interested parties. The Regional Subcommittees were informal and the membership was not appointed by the Board of Supervisors.

Two suggested options for structuring the 2020 Steering Committee:

Option 1 –Replicate 2010 LCCC Structure: Led by the Complete Count Committee Chair, the Steering Committee would also include key departments similar to the 2010 composition, with the addition of the Library and other departments as determined by the Chair. This option could likely be staffed by existing County staff.
Option 2 – Robust LCCC Steering Committee: This option would consist of a more robust Steering Committee comprising key department staff, city representation, nonprofits, CBOs, and other interested parties. The members would be appointed by the Board of Supervisors with representatives from organization focusing on the homeless, youth, and low-income communities. This option would likely require additional staff to support open meeting requirements of the Better Government Ordinance and Brown Act and also the higher complexity of coordination and communication.

With either option, three regional subcommittees are recommended due to the diverse HTC populations throughout the county. The Complete Count Steering Committee may identify a member to research and recommend actions for a particular task (census job recruitment or media outreach) or host workshops to solicit input from specific population groups (youth, immigrants, homeless, or lower-income households).

Funding

California has allocated $90 million to prepare for Census 2020, and is making $26.7 million available to participating California counties. On November 9, 2018, the State announced its funding allocation to counties based on each county’s HTC populations, and Contra Costa County has been allocated $362,605 if the Opt-In Resolution is passed and the County-Optional Outreach Agreement is executed. A portion of these funds could be used to hire a Census Coordinator to be the primary staff contact for Census Outreach activities, with support from existing County staff. The Board may also wish to consider allocating additional funding to assist in outreach efforts.

Next Steps

The following key dates are critical to ensure there will be adequate time to bring partners together to create an effective strategic outreach plan, as required by the State:

December 2018
- Sign letter to the State opting-In to the County Outreach Agreement. (See Attachment D)
- Approve letters to be sent to the City Managers and Municipal Advisory Committees. (See Attachments E1 and E2)
- Receive input from the Board on the structure of the Complete Count Committee
- Designate the Chair of the Complete Count Steering Committee

January 2019
- Convene first Complete Count Steering Committee meeting
- Begin Strategic Planning process

February 2019
- Submit Opt-In Paperwork to the State (Due by February 8th and triggers the 60 day deadline for submittal of the Strategic Outreach Plan

March 2019
- Complete Count Steering Committee report to the Board with budget and preliminary Strategic Outreach Plan
- Develop a final draft of the Strategic Outreach Plan for Board of Supervisors consideration

April 2019
- April 1st - Hold a Census 2020 Kick-Off event
- Submit Strategic Outreach Plan to the State (60 days deadline from February 8th is April 9th)

May through June 2019
- Develop targeted putreach plans

July 2019 -March 2020
- Host census events and implement plans developed by the Complete Count Committee to maximize outreach efforts. (Determined by the funding level available)

March 2020
- Internet Self-Response Begins

April 1, 2020 – Census Day

May – July, 2020
- Non-Response Follow-up (i.e. Census Door to door enumeration)

January 2019 through December 2020 – Prepare required reports to State

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

Without support for Census 2020 the county risks not having a complete and accurate count, thus risking loss of both state and federal funding and Congressional representation.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

The requested actions will support outcome established by the Children's Report Card: (5) Communities that are Safe and Provide a High Quality of Life for Children and Families. The requested actions will better support all five outcomes.

CLERK'S ADDENDUM

Speakers: Lauren Babb, Planned Parenthood; Kristin Connelly, East Bay Leadership Council; Julia Marks, Advancing Justices-Asian Law Caucus; Carly Finkle, Contra Costa Food Bank; Mariana Moore, Ensuring Opportunity Campaign, Contra Costa Census Coalition.

RECEIVED the presentation;

ADOPTED Resolution No. 2018/592 proclaiming Board of Supervisors' support of, and participation in, the 2020 Census, and authorizing the County Administrator to execute the County-Optional Outreach Agreement with the State, which will make the County eligible to receive up to $362,605 during fiscal years 2018-19 and 2019-20;

ESTABLISHED a Complete Count Steering Committee and APPOINTED Supervisor Diane Burgis to serve as the chairperson of the Committee through 2020, as outlined in Option 2, comprising key department staff, city representation, nonprofits, CBOs, and other interested parties, and adding a business representative. The members would be appointed by the Board of Supervisors with representatives from organization focusing on the homeless, youth, and low-income communities;

AGREED to solicit input from the community by including the matter in each District Newsletter;

APPROVED and AUTHORIZED the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to sign letters to the Contra Costa City Managers and Municipal Advisory Committees requesting their collaboration in making the complete count effort a success;

And DETERMINED to return to the matter on the January 22, 2019 meeting for formalize the Steering Committee membership.