Agenda

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C.31

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Legislation Committee
Date:	February 28, 2012

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Status Report on Contra Costa County's ARRA Federal Stimulus Funds

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 02/28/2012

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

ABSENT:

Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Supervisor

Contact:

L. DeLaney, 925-335-1097

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: February 28, 2012
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ACCEPT status report prepared by the County Administrator's Office on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds in Contra Costa County, as recommended by the Legislation Committee.

FISCAL IMPACT:

This status report provides information about the fiscal impact of the federal ARRA stimulus funds on Contra Costa County.

BACKGROUND:

On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. P.L. 111-5, Section 1512 of the Recovery Act requires each organization to report on the use of Recovery Act funding. The Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board ("Recovery Board") has identified and deployed a nationwide data collection system at the website FederalReporting.gov that serves to collect data required by Section 1512.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

Recipient data reported to FederalReporting.gov was uploaded to Recovery.gov on January 30, 2012 for public viewing. Recovery.gov is the U.S. government's official website where information and data on Recovery Act spending is available for public access. The site also provides for potential fraud, waste, and abuse reporting.

The 2011 4th quarter reporting period was from January 1 to January 14th, 2012. This reporting period covers work completed through December 31, 2011. Contra Costa County was in compliance with the 4th quarter reporting period. To date, Contra Costa County has been awarded over $71.6 million in funds and has received $65,963,189.

Staff has prepared this status report on the ARRA funds that Contra Costa County has either received through formula grants or through competitive grants. Staff of the CAO and the Auditor-Controller are collaborating to ensure that all reporting requirements are met and all relevant information is captured. The status report also identify the impact of all ARRA funds in terms of job creation, economic impact, social impact, and cost avoidance, and we have endeavored to capture that information from department staff managing the funds.

The spreadsheet identifying the County's participation in ARRA funding opportunities is attached; it is being continuously updated as information from Departments is provided. It is also provided on the County’s website, under the ARRA Stimulus Funding tab.

Noteworthy accomplishments of the County’s ARRA funds:

1. On December 12, 2009, Contra Costa Health Services was awarded $12 million to relocate and rebuild the Richmond Health Center. Funds were awarded through a competitive grant process for a one-time facility improvement opportunity to address significant and pressing capital improvement needs in health centers, including construction and renovation.

Status of the Clinic: HVAC roof curbs, skylights curbs and equipment pads are completed. The interior wall framing and the mechanical, electrical & plumbing ceiling rough-ins are ongoing on the first and second floors. Hanging of the gyp board on the first floor and the exterior wall framing are also in progress. The installation of the rigid foam insulation for exterior walls is expected to start this week. Finally, the roofing insulation has been installed and roofing in progress.

Status of the Parking Structure: The concrete for the structure is completely poured. The mechanical, electrical & plumbing rough-ins and setting of miscellaneous iron imbeds are complete and the sack and patch of the structure walls is currently in progress.

Going Forward: On January 10, 2012 the Board of Supervisors approved the plans, specifications, and design for the bid packages for site concrete/caulking, flooring, landscaping and irrigation, miscellaneous specialties, and miscellaneous metal phase 2. This work is expected to start by the end of January 2012.

Contra Costa Health Services has received its requested “Extension Without Funds” for this project through December 31, 2012. The completion date of this project, however, is currently projected to be October 2012.

2. Contra Costa Health Services also has received a Capital Improvement Projectgrant for $683,020 for construction of a new modular unit for the Martinez family practice site. The existing building is in need of replacement due to asbestos in the walls and a non-operating HVAC system. The asbestos remediation costs exceed the value of the building, making repair/renovation unfeasible. Since Fall 2008, this building has become almost uninhabitable, impeding clinical services significantly with compacted services at other service sites. The County has expended $203,460 through December 2011.

The Family Health Centerconstruction documents have been reviewed and approved by the Department of Conservation and Development. The Board of Supervisors authorized the General Services Department to solicit bids on January 10, 2012. Bid packages for the first phase of construction are expected to be received by February 23, 2012. Construction should begin the first week of April 2012.

3. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-R): The Board of Supervisors approved allocating funds to fourteen projects to help finance infrastructure improvements that provide basic services to lower income residents. As of December 31, 2011, thirteen projects have been successfully completed. A total of $812,711 has been spent and 12.3 FTE construction jobs have been created. The remaining project is currently out-to-bid and is expected to be completed by June 2012.

4. Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program (HPRP): As of December 31, 2011, the County has expended $1,320,009 (93%) of its allocation and anticipates expending all funds by spring 2012. HPRP partners have far exceeded the original estimates for number of families served – to date a total of 548 Contra Costa County families have been provided homeless prevention and rapid re-housing services. The County will continue to work with local service providers to assist clients in need and will make referrals to local partner agencies to help keep families from falling into homelessness or moving homeless families into more permanent housing.

5. Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG): The County was awarded $3,574,300 in EECBG funds and has expended $2,186,830 through December 2011. Several notable highlights are the successful completion of 4 activities: LED Street Light Replacement (Activity #2), County Employee Commute Program/Telecommuting and Compressed Work Week Outreach (Activity #5), Employee Energy Conservation Campaign (Activity #6), and the Property Assessed Clean Energy [PACE] Financing Program (Activity #8). Work is still in-progress on the remainder of the funded activities.

6. The amount of ARRA funds utilized for the Vasco Road Safety Improvement Project was $11,279,083. This was increased from the $10 million originally received. The additional amount of ARRA funds came from savings from the Vasco Road Overlay project (below) and from other cost savings realized from other jurisdictions in Contra Costa County.

Project construction is complete. Minor punch list items have been completed or are in the process of being completed. Final invoicing for the project is in progress. The project completed the connection in the southbound truck climbing/passing lane, bridge widening, retaining walls and the installation of a concrete median barrier.

7. The amount of ARRA funds received for the Vasco Road Overlay Projectwas $2,762,000. However, given the low bids received and additional savings to this project during construction, some of those savings were applied to the Vasco Road Safety Improvement project as stated above. The remaining portion of ARRA funds applied to the Vasco Road Overlay project was $1,945,770.

The project is complete and payments to contractor are complete. The project provided rehabilitation of the road surface, extending the life and providing a smoother ride surface for the motoring public.

8. Workforce Development Board:

Projects & Efforts Still Active in 2011 (and into 2012)

Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). The WDB and its primary youth service providers, the Contra Costa County Office of Education and Henkels & McCoy Training Services placed more than 1600 youth into summer jobs in 2009 and 2010 using ARRA funds. In the absence of ARRA funds in 2011, the WDB and its youth contractors were able to secure $31,000 in funding (non-WIA) to help support an effort that ultimately helped more than 100 young people obtain summer jobs across Contra Costa County. More than 40 of these jobs resulted in permanent employment for out-of-school youth who were directly hired by private businesses. The WDB continues to make this program a priority for 2012 and will be leveraging a White House initiative called Summer Jobs+, which calls for businesses, nonprofits, and government to work together to provide avenues to employment for low-income and disconnected youth in the summer of 2012. The initiative commits the federal government and the private sector to creating 180,000 summer employment opportunities for youth. Employers are invited to participate by providing a range of work opportunities such as internships, on-the-job training, mentoring programs, workshops, and job shadow days.
Building on our Assets: Economic Development and Job Creation in the East Bay: The Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County was a major investor and partner in this report, which was released in October 2011 by the East Bay Economic Development Alliance (East Bay EDA). The report highlights the fact that despite the current economic situation, the East Bay has underlying assets that bode well for the region’s future: a highly educated workforce, world-class research and development institutions, growing innovation industries in life science and clean and renewable energy, a central location, vital goods movement infrastructure at the Port of Oakland, and a wide variety of housing options, open space and recreational opportunities, give the region East Bay an edge over other regions.

The Building on our Assets report has quickly become the signature analysis of the East Bay economy and is helping the Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County, along with East Bay EDA and other partners to drive planning efforts across Contra Costa County and the region during these exceedingly dynamic times.
Diablo Innovation Alliance (DIA): The Diablo Innovation Alliance (DIA), which has received a lot of local and regional support from business, economic development organizations, educational institutions, and elected officials, is one of the signature projects that the WDB helped to launch with a “seed grant” of $200,000 in ARRA funds. The DIA culminated in the development of a “regional action plan” that identifies how the East Bay can help to accelerate clean energy research and innovation, manufacturing, and market adoption through regional collaboration and industry clusters. This project continues to be supported by the WDB as it looks to develop education and training programs aligned with the emerging needs in the clean energy and water technology industry clusters.

The DIA is being implemented by the Contra Costa Economic Partnership (CCEP) and was recently bolstered with the award of a $500,000+ grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Rooftop Solar Challenge, a national program to encourage cities and counties to compete to streamline and digitize solar permitting. The DOE funds will be used to develop the first phase of a solar permitting process within Contra Costa County that encourages local jurisdictions to standardize permit requirements so they are easily understood, consistent, timely and cost effective. Subsequent phases and funding would involve the three-county region; successful implementation would serve as a best practice model for statewide adoption.

Expanded Service Capacity: Thanks to policy support from the U.S. Department of Labor and the State of California, the WDB has been able to ensure a smooth transition into the post-ARRA environment. These policies have helped to sustain a continued high level of services to businesses and (especially) job seekers through our EASTBAY Works One-Stop Career Centers and three community-based contractors that have been trying to help get people back to work following the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. ARRA funds helped to more than double the number of job seekers receiving staff-assisted services through the local workforce system, and with many of these individuals still in the process of securing employment, the WDB is pleased to have sufficient resources to continue services at this level until June 2012.

Completed Projects

Microsoft Office Suite (MOS): More than 200 individuals were trained in basic Microsoft Office applications at adult school campuses, and more than 80% have successfully completed the program. More than half of them have found employment, most of which has been training-related.

BPI Training: One of the “gold standard” certifications that licensed contractors and other building professionals need to retain their competitive edge are offered through the Building Performance Institute (BPI). Two particular BPI certification programs – Building Analyst Professional and Building Envelope Professional have become important certifications for contractors that seek to obtain work to create more energy efficient homes. The WDB’s ARRA Rapid Response funding helped to provide training to twenty-one (21) licensed contractors located in East Contra Costa County.

9. Community Services Bureau

EHS ARRA Expansion- Early Head Start (EHS) ARRA Expansion provided 170 additional infant/toddler slots throughout the county in Bay Point, Martinez, Rodeo, Concord, Antioch, Oakley, North Richmond and Richmond in addition to the Home Based program. As of September 30, 2011 EHS Expansion concluded and CSB successfully achieved its goals to expand the EHS program and meet the needs of EHS eligible families. EHS Expansion funds and the services and slots supported by these funds continue at this time as part of CSB’s EHS base grant. Achievements include increased services to eligible families, infant/toddler facility and classroom upgrades, support to teachers to obtain the newly required 6 additional units in infant/toddler care coursework, increased professional development opportunities to enhance knowledge of best practices for infant/toddler care-giving, and expanded technology support to staff.

Head Start/Early Head Start Early Learning Mentor Grant– The HS/EHS Early Learning Mentor program provides mentoring for 12 CSB, Delegate Agency and Child Care Partner teacher protégés. Mentoring is provided by 4 early childhood consultants. Although this grant will conclude February 29, 2012, the program will continue by utilizing the protégés as the nucleus of an expanding and ongoing mentor program for the continued development of high quality professional early care and education specialists. The protégés and mentors will participate in planning sessions with the education managers and assistant directors on how coaching and mentorship can be expanded in the Community Services Bureau. This plan will be tailored to the agency’s school readiness and family engagement goals.

As a result of this grant CSB has strengthened and formalized its mentorship of teachers by allowing a focus on more individualized mentoring and leadership development. Protégés have demonstrated more effective facilitation, clarity of learning objectives and implementation of individualized education plan for the children. There is evidence of improved partnership with the parents in their children’s education. Protégés and their mentors are preparing for a culminating event on February 17, 2012 in which protégés will make individual professional presentations around what they have learned to all CSB directors, site supervisors and managers.

DOE/Weatherization- The California Department of Community Services and Development awarded additional funding to the Bureau’s Department of Energy (DOE) ARRA Weatherization Program in the amount of $1,101,321. The additional funding raises the contract payment limit to $4,554,300. This contract ends March 31, 2012.

In July 2011, the State awarded additional funding to the Bureau’s Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program ARRA. The additional funding of $500,000 will allow the Bureau to weatherize more dwellings owned or occupied by the County’s low-income individuals and families.

A total of 1,085 units were weatherized from January 1, 2011 through January 31, 2012.

10. Workforce Services Bureau

• Through our Subsidized Employment Training (SET) program funded with TANF ECF funds, the Workforce Services Bureau (WSB) engaged 416 public, private, and non-profit employers who employed over 1,000 CalWORKs participants and other low income residents and youth throughout the county.

• A total of $1,347,667 was used as in-kind match to the TANF ECF funds to fund the SET program.

• Three hundred and fifty-eight (358) participants obtained permanent employment as a result of their involvement in the SET program. The WSB also partnered with EastBayWORKs using Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds to transition over thirty (30) SET participants into “On the Job” (OJT) training slots to secure permanent employment.

• The Workforce Services Bureau also established community collaborations that allowed them to leverage TANF ECF funds to provide thousands of low-income EHSD families with food boxes, school supplies, and transportation vouchers.

• The Workforce Services Bureau partnered with K to College and local school districts for the distribution of educational supplies to elementary school children throughout Contra Costa County.

• The Bureau also contracted with local taxi companies to provide transportation to qualifying participants as well as with the Food Bank to provide food boxes to families with an episodic food security need. These services were provided throughout the county.

• A total of $1,241,711 of TANF ECF dollars were spent on the school supplies, transportation vouchers, and food boxes providing support to approximately 57,841 Contra Costa residents.

11. Anti-Drug Abuse Enforcement Team Recovery Act Program: The position filled by the attorney funded by the ADA grant would not exist but for the grant funds. Over the last year, the grant attorney has worked with Federal (FBI, DEA and Homeland Security) and State Agencies (BNE, and Multijurisdictional Task Forces), in enforcement operations that has led to the dismantling and disruption of several drug trafficking organizations.

In one case, several Northern California cells of a large international “ecstasy” smuggling and distribution group were dismantled, resulting in the arrests of nine individuals, seizure of over 60,000 ecstasy pills, and the seizure of over $125,000.00. Prosecution of defendants is ongoing. Spin-off investigations continue.

Other notable investigations coordinated with law enforcement agencies resulted in the seizure of over 150 pounds of methamphetamine, 15 pounds of cocaine, and more than 400 pounds of marijuana. Over 50 major drug dealers have been charged with various drug trafficking offenses, and over $450,000.00 were seized. It is likely that much of the funds that were seized would have found their way to support further criminal activities.

The ADA attorney has also been instrumental in assisting law enforcement in the prosecution of drug trafficking street gangs. Over 15 defendants were convicted of gang activity in connection with their drug dealing. Efforts targeting these individuals continue to be a priority.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

This report is for informational purposes.