HomeMy WebLinkAbout082420_ra04 JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
REGULAR AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Philip Morley, County Administrator
Patty Charnas, Chief, COVID Pandemic Res se/Rec ery Section
Mark McCauley, Central Services Director
DATE: August 24, 2020
SUBJECT: Update Regarding CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF), and
Process to Gather Input to Set Priorities for Community Assistance
Allocations from CRF Funds
STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Staff will provide the Board of County Commissioners an update
on CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF), and a process to gather community input to
inform the Board's decisions on allocating those funds to provide assistance to help address the
community impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff recommends targeting to make allocation
decisions on September 14, so there is time to enter into subrecipient agreements, and for the
subrecipients to spend or obligate and bill all those funds by October 31, 2020.
This August 24 update follows the Board's briefing and discussion on August 17.
ANALYSIS: Washington State allocated a first round of CRF funds to all cities and counties,
including Jefferson County, earlier this year to help defray costs associated with the Covid-19
pandemic public health emergency. It is expected that a second round of some size will be
announced in the near future.
As discussed with the Commissioners on August 17, after paying for County costs to respond to
this pandemic through this fall, and already committing approximately $150,000 to help others in
our community respond to the COVID-19 emergency, an additional $327,000 of Jefferson
County's first round of CRF funds is available to be allocated for eligible purposes under federal
and state requirements (for a total of approximately $477,000 from the first round CRF
allocation for community assistance).
At the Board's suggestion, and after consultation with representatives of the City, Port and PUD,
we have invited the six Community Groups working with the Intergovernmental Coordinating
Committee to submit ideas by September 4th for priority projects and uses for expending these
funds for community assistance. The six Community Groups are: Culture &Events, Economy
& Jobs, Children& Families, Human Services, Food System Resiliency, and Broadband.
The ideas of priority projects and uses by the six Community Groups will also be important input
for allocating a second round of CRF funds that the State may soon distribute to the County and
the City. This second round of CRF must also be fully spent or obligated and billed by the
October 31 deadline. Washington State has not yet said how much each jurisdictipn will get in
the second round, but it could be several times the $327,000 we currently have for community
assistance.
At the September 8, 2020 meeting of the County Commissioners, staff will share the input from
the Community Groups, and engage in some preliminary discussion and guidance from the
Commissioners. County staff will use the week of September 8-11 to follow up and develop
specific allocation recommendations for consideration by the Commissioners.
Staff is proposing that the Commissioners set a September 14, 2020 target date for considering
staff's recommendations and potentially taking action to allocate the County's round 1 of CRF,
and potentially round 2, if it has been released by the State in time.
If the State substantially extends its October 31 deadline for the County and its subrecipients to
spend or obligate and bill the State for all CRF reimbursements, staff may subsequently propose
revisions to the schedule described above.
FISCAL IMPACT: None. However, a supplemental budget appropriation will eventually need
to be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners for approval to reflect both the first and
second of CRF rounds that may flow through the County.
RECOMMENDATION: That the Board hear the update from staff, and provide further
guidance as appropriate.
+ +D BY.
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ilip Mor1e C . rator Date