Title
Receive reports regarding activities throughout 2015, and anticipated major legislative and grant projects and issues in 2016, related to the County’s Legislative Program and Strategic Grant Services Program.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors receive reports regarding activities throughout 2015, and anticipated major legislative and grant projects and issues in 2016, related to the County’s Legislative Program and Strategic Grant Services Program.
SUMMARY:
On January 13, 2015, the Board of Supervisors adopted the 2015-16 Legislative Program, which sets forth the County’s legislative agenda for the 2015-16 state and federal legislative sessions. The Program includes legislative principles which provide authority to advocate for the County’s interests on a wide variety of issues, and specific legislative priorities on issues of critical importance to the County. The County’s Strategic Grant Services Program relies on the guidance of the Legislative Program in conjunction with the Board’s Strategic Initiatives, in order to strategically focus resources on the highest priority grant opportunities for the County. Under this agenda item, the Board will receive reports from the County’s legislative and grant funding advocates regarding activities undertaken in 2015 and anticipated major issues/projects for 2016. Reports will be provided by:
- Brent Heberlee, Nossaman LLP, federal legislative advocate (Exhibit A)
- John Arriaga & Laurie Johnson, JEA & Associates, state legislative advocates (Exhibit B)
- Ashley Setoudeh, Nossaman LLP, grant advocate (Exhibit C)
DISCUSSION:
The County Administrative Office - Intergovernmental & Legislative Affairs Division (IGLA) is charged with the design and execution of the County’s Legislative Program and Strategic Grant Services Program. Both programs are designed to align with the Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Initiatives which lay out a forward-looking vision for planning and management of County resources across programs to secure maximum return and benefit for County residents.
Monterey County maintains a long-standing and successful Legislative Program. The Board adopted the 2015-2016 Legislative Program on January 13, 2015. The two-year program is designed to align with the two-year cycles of the state and federal legislatures. The program provides staff and the County’s legislative and funding advocates with the authority needed to take timely actions to protect, defend, or advance the County’s interests in Sacramento and Washington D.C.
The current Legislative Program includes thirteen (13) legislative priorities and ten (10) legislative principles to provide broad authority and flexibility in order to respond to issues in the timeliest manner possible. Issues are designated as legislative priorities when it is anticipated that: 1) the issue being addressed will have a significant impact on the County or County residents; 2) that accomplishing the requested action/strategy related to the priority will require significant effort by County staff and/or the County’s legislative and/or funding advocates; and 3) the issue(s) described in the priority have risen to the very highest level of priority for the Board of Supervisors. The Legislative Program authorizes the County to expedite response to various legislative issues as they arise throughout the year, and is enhanced by the legislative programs that many department heads participate in through their various professional organizations.
Staff recommends that the current Legislative Program remain unchanged for the remainder of the current legislative cycle (through 2016). In the fall of 2015, staff solicited input from County department heads and Board offices regarding proposed changes to the program. Staff believes that the current program provides broad coverage on these issues; however, if the Board of Supervisors’ Legislative Committee recommends major changes to the program at a future date we will return to the Board for authority to make those changes. The 2015-16 Legislative Program is attached to this report as Exhibit D.
In September 2014, the CAO-IGLA Division developed and launched the Strategic Grant Services Program. Working with the consulting firm, Nossaman LLP (Sacramento), the Program currently has the capacity to work on up to 15 priority grant applications per year. The Program is strategically aimed at securing funding for the County’s highest priority project/programs. Designation of a priority project is based on: 1) alignment with the Board’s Strategic Initiatives; 2) alignment with the Legislative Program; 3) timing of grant opportunities; 4) ability to meet grant requirements; 5) ability to meet grant matching fund requirements; and 6) probability of receiving funding.
A significant amount of resources have been dedicated to getting the Strategic Grant Services Program up and running over the past 16 months. The IGLA Division and consultants (Nossaman) have identified Countywide funding needs, become educated on top priority projects, and developed relationships internally, with local County partners, and with state and federal funding agencies in support of the County’s funding priorities. Grant funding is highly competitive and grant applications often require extensive effort to complete. At times it has been difficult for County departments to commit resources (subject matter experts) to the application development process. For various reasons, sometimes significant time and effort is spent on applications which have not been submitted or have been unsuccessful - or on issues which set the stage for a future application (e.g. attaining CASGEM compliance; white bass issue). Whenever possible, staff attempts to debrief with funding agencies in order to understand why the County’s project was not chosen for funding, to understand how to improve the County’s application in future funding rounds, and to strengthen the County’s relationship with the funding agency. Building this program is a multi-year effort and IGLA intends to continue to fine tune this process over the next year.
Under this Board item, reports will be provided by the County’s federal and state legislative and funding advocates highlighting the County’s efforts during 2015 and identifying anticipated major legislative/funding efforts expected to be taken up during 2016.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The County Administrative Office - Intergovernmental & Legislative Affairs Division prepared this report. Information contained in this report was provided by Monterey County’s state and federal legislative and grant funding advocates.
FINANCING:
Monterey County’s Legislative Program and Strategic Grant Services Program are funded in County Administrative Office-Department 1050, Intergovernmental & Legislative Affairs Division-Unit 8054. Approval of this recommendation will not result in additional General Fund contributions.
Prepared by: Annette D’Adamo, Management Analyst III
Approved by:
______________________________
Nicholas E. Chiulos
Assistant County Administrative Officer
Attachments:
Exhibit A - Federal Legislative Report - Brent Heberlee, Nossaman LLP
Exhibit B - State Legislative Report - John Arriaga & Laurie Johnson, JEA & Associates
Exhibit C - Strategic Grant Services Program Report - Ashley Setoudeh, Nossaman LLP
Exhibit D - 2015-16 Legislative Program