Title
Consider recommendations from the Legislative Committee to:
a. Adopt the 2021-2022 Legislative Program Update;
b. Approve 2022 sponsor legislation and State Budget requests;
c. Adopt the 2022 Strategic Grant Services Program;
d. Receive an annual report from Ballard Spahr LLP, the County’s federal legislative advocate;
e. Receive an annual report from Nossaman LLP, the County’s state legislative advocate; and
f. Receive an annual report from Nossaman LLP, the County’s grant consultant.
Report
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors consider recommendations from the Legislative Committee to:
a. Adopt the 2021-2022 Legislative Program Update;
b. Approve 2022 sponsor legislation and State Budget requests;
c. Adopt the 2022 Strategic Grant Services Program;
d. Receive an annual report from Ballard Spahr LLP, the County’s federal legislative advocate;
e. Receive an annual report from Nossaman LLP, the County’s state legislative advocate; and
f. Receive an annual report from Nossaman LLP, the County’s grant consultant.
SUMMARY
The Legislative Committee met on December 13, 2021 and recommended that the Board of Supervisors: adopt the 2021-2022 Legislative Program Update; approve Monterey County’s proposed 2022 sponsor legislation and State Budget requests; adopt the 2022 Strategic Grant Services Program; and receive annual reports from the County’s state and federal legislative advocates and grant consultant.
DISCUSSION
The County Administrative Office - Intergovernmental & Legislative Affairs (IGLA) Division is charged with the development and execution of the County’s Legislative Program and Strategic Grant Services Program. Each year, IGLA staff works with the Board, County departments, and the County’s state and federal legislative and funding advocates, under the direction of the Legislative Committee to craft the programs. The programs are designed to support the Board’s Strategic Initiatives, reflect the Board’s interests and priorities, and work together to advocate for funding through state and federal programs which translate into local grant funding opportunities.
2021-2022 Legislative Program Update:
Every other year the Board adopts a two-year legislative program which aligns with the two-year cycles of the State Legislature and Congress. The 2021-2022 Legislative Program Update sets forth the County’s interests for the second half of the current legislative session. Monterey County maintains a long-standing and successful Legislative Program, ensuring that the interests of the County are well represented in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. The program provides the County a voice in State/Federal funding and policy decision-making and ensures that County leaders are apprised of evolving initiatives impacting the County and its residents. Once adopted, the Legislative Program provides authority to advocate in support or defense of issues, enabling actions to be taken quickly to protect or defend the County’s interests.
The Legislative Program addresses a multitude of County priorities related to economic development, administration, health and human services, infrastructure and public safety. County policy concerns are most often centered on resources to carry out state and local service responsibilities, the authority to carry out those responsibilities in local communities, and partnerships with the State and Federal governments.
Major issues included in the Program which we anticipate significant State action on in 2022 include: continued COVID-19 response and recovery, public health (including mental and behavioral health), housing and homelessness, broadband, Brown Act modernization, wildfire and other climate change impacts on sustainability, drought response and water storage, water affordability, and cannabis. Anticipated Federal issues include: Build Back Better Act (BBBA), Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Appropriations, Congressionally Designated Spending (CDS) Requests for FY 2023 Appropriations; and implementation of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and BBBA (if enacted).
Exhibit A - 2021-2022 Legislative Program Update
Exhibit B - 12/13/21 Memo to Legislative Committee: Summary of Changes and Redline Version of Draft 2021-22 Legislative Program Update
2022 Monterey County Proposed Sponsor Legislation and State Budget Requests:
The Legislative Committee recommends that the Board officially provide direction for the County to pursue one legislative proposal and five State Budget requests as follows:
• Sponsor legislation to authorize a new Veterans Home in Monterey County (Board Referral 2021.17);
• Request funding in the 2022 State Budget for the following projects:
o $312 million: Water Storage Infrastructure and Maintenance Projects ($300 million) and San Lucas Clean Drinking Water Project ($12 million);
o Dam safety and infrastructure funding;
o $15 million: Old Monterey County Jail;
o $40 million: Mental Health Rehabilitation Facility
o $10 million: Health Clinic in Marina, CA
Exhibit C - 2022 Monterey County Proposed Sponsor Legislative and State Budget Requests
2022 Strategic Grant Services Program:
The Strategic Grants Service Program assists in funding efforts on some of the County’s highest priority projects. Working with County departments, the program coordinates, facilitates and provides strategic expertise from the identification of grant funding opportunities through application submittal. Priority projects must align with the Board’s Strategic Initiatives and Legislative Program goals and meet all grant requirements to submit a strong and competitive application.
The 2022 Strategic Grant Services Program has a limited workload capacity which is directed by the Board of Supervisors through annual adoption of the Program. Following adoption, the Board’s Legislative Committee provides routine program guidance and direction. IGLA staff administers the program with limited assistance and strategic advice from the County’s grant consultant at Nossaman LLP. The Program includes a Work Plan and a Grant Needs Inventory.
It should be noted that the Board has resourced the Strategic Grant Services Program to work on a small number (10-15) of grants each year, varying depending on their complexity. At its inception in late 2014 the Program was solely focused on obtaining funding for water related projects. Due to increasing requests for assistance the Board allocated a full-time dedicated Management Analyst III to work solely on the Program in 2016. That employee left the County in late 2017 and the position was not filled and was eliminated from the Budget in FY18-19. Therefore, by design, the Program can only work on a small number of the County’s grant applications each year and should not be construed to represent the County’s overall grant funding efforts, priorities, or needs. Additionally, several County departments have staff with extensive grant expertise and therefore do not request assistance or guidance from the Program.
Work Plan: A result of collaboration with County departments, the work plan identifies priority projects and funding sources to guide efforts over a 12-month period. The work plan is designed to be flexible to adjust to the County’s changing priorities and new or unanticipated funding opportunities.
Grant Needs Inventory: An inventory of County projects which require a source of grant funding developed in consultation with the Board and department heads. This listing guides the research of IGLA staff and the County’s grant consultants. Projects can be added at any time to this inventory by Board or Departmental request.
Exhibit D - 2022 Strategic Grant Services Program
Annual Reports:
The annual reports provided by the County’s federal and state legislative advocates and grant consultant highlight activities undertaken on behalf of the County during 2021, and their oral presentations will focus on anticipated major issues or projects for 2022. Reports will be provided by:
• Brent R. Heberlee, Ballard Spahr LLP - Federal Legislative Advocate - Exhibit E
• Ashley Walker, Nossaman LLP - State Legislative Advocate - Exhibit F
• Ashley Walker, Nossaman LLP - Grant Consultant - Exhibit G
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
The County Administrative Office - Intergovernmental & Legislative Affairs Division prepared this report. Significant contributions to the development of the programs were made by the Legislative Committee, County department heads/staff, and the County’s state and federal legislative advocates and grant consultant.
FINANCING
The Legislative Program and Strategic Grant Services Programs are funded by the County Administrative Office (Department 1050) - Intergovernmental & Legislative Affairs Division (Unit 8054). Approval of the recommendations contained in this report will not result in additional General Fund contributions.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
The Legislative Program and Strategic Grants Services Program work to advance all categories of the Board’s Strategic Initiatives.
R Economic Development
R Administration
R Health & Human Services
R Infrastructure
R Public Safety
Prepared by: Annette D’Adamo, Management Analyst III
Approved by: Nicholas E. Chiulos, Assistant County Administrative Officer
Date: December 21, 2021
Attachments:
• Exhibit A - 2021-2022 Legislative Program Update
• Exhibit B - 12/13/21 Memo: Summary of Changes/Redline Version of 2021-22 Legislative Program Update
• Exhibit C - 2022 Monterey County Proposed Sponsor Legislative and State Budget Requests
• Exhibit D - 2022 Strategic Grant Services Program
• Exhibit E - 2021 Annual Report (Ballard Spahr, LLP, Federal Legislative Advocacy)
• Exhibit F - 2021 Annual Report (Nossaman, LLP, State Legislative Advocacy)
• Exhibit G - 2021 Annual Report (Nossaman, LLP, Strategic Grant Services Program)