Title
a. Authorize the Director of Housing & Community Development or designee, to sign and execute the pass-through grant subaward application and submit the application to the California Office of Emergency Services; and
b. Authorize and direct the Auditor-Controller to amend the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Adopted Budget to increase appropriations and revenues by $1,000,000 for the Housing and Community Development Department, Fund 013, Unit 8545, Appropriation Unit HCD004 financed by a pass-through grant subaward from the California Office of Emergency Services (Assembly Bill 102) for wildfire prevention and eucalyptus tree removal pilot project (4/5th vote required).
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Authorize the Director of Housing & Community Development or designee, to sign and execute the pass-through grant subaward application and submit the application to the California Office of Emergency Services; and
b. Authorize and direct the Auditor-Controller to amend the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Adopted Budget to increase appropriations and revenue by $1,000,000 for the Housing and Community Development Department, Fund 013, Unit 8545, Appropriation Unit HCD004 financed by a pass-through grant subaward from the California Office of Emergency Services (Assembly Bill 102) for wildfire prevention and eucalyptus tree removal pilot project.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
On July 10, 2023, the Governor of California signed The Budget Act of 2023 (Assembly Bill 102). The Budget Act of 2023 made appropriations for the support of state government for the 2023-24 fiscal year. Section 19.563 of The Budget Act contains appropriations that reflect legislative priorities related to public safety including an allocation of $1 million to the County of Monterey for wildfire prevention and eucalyptus tree removal pilot project. This is a pass-through allocation from the state budget and not a grant. The County will receive the lump sum allocation and is required to spend the money for the purposes stated in the bill (“wildfire prevention and eucalyptus tree removal pilot project”) before June 30, 2027.
Housing & Community Development (HCD) requests authorization from the Board of Supervisors to complete the application and secure the allocation from the state. Time is of the essence in encumbering the funding due to state budget timelines and potential roll backs in the next budget year. Once the funding is secured, HCD will develop the pilot project and return to the Board for consideration of that project. HCD anticipates this will occur in April of this year.
HCD did not include the pass-through allocation in the 2023-24 adopted budget because it was unknown during budget preparation, therefore the budget must be amended to increase appropriations. This requires a 4/5th vote.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The funds are available through the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES). If the Board authorizes, HCD will file the paperwork with CalOES. HCD would also work with the Auditor Controller and the County Administrative Offices on the budget adjustments.
FINANCING:
Staff time to prepare this report is included in HCD FY2023-24 Budget Appropriation Unit HCD002, Unit 8543. Once funding is approved and received from CalOES, it will be made payable to a third-party vendor and distributed to qualified property owners who choose to participate in the wildfire prevention and eucalyptus tree removal pilot project.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
These actions are administrative activities leading to the development of a pilot project will promote public safety.
Check the related Board of Supervisors Strategic Initiatives:
Economic Development
X Administration
__ Health & Human Services
-__ Infrastructure
X Public Safety
Prepared by: Craig Spencer, Acting Director of HCD
With assistance from: Lori Woodle, HCD Finance Manager
The following attachments are on file with the Clerk of the Board:
Attachment A - CalOES application
cc: Front Counter Copy; Craig Spencer, Acting Director of HCD: The Open Monterey Project (Molly Erickson); LandWatch; Resource Conservation District of Monterey County.