Title
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Receive an update on the 2020 Census Complete Count Committee for Monterey County Strategic Plan.
b. Adopt a 2020 Census Complete Count Committee structure to include a Steering Committee chaired by an appointed member(s) of the Board of Supervisors.
c. Adopt a resolution authorizing the Auditor-Controller to amend the Fiscal Year 2019-20 Adopted Budget for the CAO Office of Community Engagement and Strategic Advocacy, 001-1050-CAO024-8440, increasing appropriations and revenues by $401,996 funded by the California Governor’s Complete Count Committee (Agreement # CCC-18-20021) (4/5ths vote required).
d. Consider and approve a request for a one-time investment in the 2020 Census Monterey County outreach efforts, authorizing the Auditor-Controller to amend the Fiscal Year 2019-20 Adopted Budget for the CAO Office of Community Engagement and Strategic Advocacy, 001-1050-CAO024-8440, increasing appropriations by $300,000 financed by a release from the Cannabis Tax assignment, BSA 001-3132 (4/5ths vote required).
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Receive an update on the 2020 Census Complete Count Committee for Monterey County Strategic Plan.
b. Adopt a 2020 Census Complete Count Committee structure to include a Steering Committee chaired by an appointed member(s) of the Board of Supervisors.
c. Adopt a resolution authorizing the Auditor-Controller to amend the Fiscal Year 2019-20 Adopted Budget for the CAO Office of Community Engagement and Strategic Advocacy, 001-1050-CAO024-8440, increasing appropriations and revenues by $401,996 funded by the California Governor’s Complete Count Committee (Agreement # CCC-18-20021) (4/5ths vote required).
d. Consider and approve a request for a one-time investment in the 2020 Census Monterey County outreach efforts, authorizing the Auditor-Controller to amend the Fiscal Year 2019-20 Adopted Budget for the CAO Office of Community Engagement and Strategic Advocacy, 001-1050-CAO024-8440, increasing appropriations by $300,000 financed by a release from the Cannabis Tax assignment, BSA 001-3132 (4/5ths vote required).
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
In October 2018, the County Administrative Office established the 2020 Census Complete Count Committee for Monterey County, launching the ambitious and vital endeavor to ensure a complete and accurate count of all who live in Monterey County. This began the strategic planning process in partnership with community based organizations and community leaders representing various local government entities as well as advocacy groups.
The County of Monterey is the 7th hardest to count county in California. According to the California Complete Count Office’s hard-to-count (HTC) index, there are more than 230,000 County residents identified as HTC populations. That is nearly half of the entire population in Monterey County. The objective of the Complete Count Committee for Monterey County is to reduce the number of non-response households, most specifically within the County’s HTC communities.
The 2020 Census is unique in comparison to historical decennial Census as it presents new challenges to obtaining a complete and accurate count. Those challenges include:
• Reduction in Federal Funding: Federal funding allocated to the 2020 Census is not nearly sufficient to ensure community awareness and access to the census questionnaire and evident in the lack of a local Census Bureau office in Monterey County. This reality has prompted the State of California to allocate more than $182 million in State funds to support local efforts.
• Digital Divide: The 2020 Census will be the first decennial census to be conducted almost entirely online. Not all HTC communities in Monterey County have the broadband access to a reliable and secure source of internet.
• Safety and Privacy: In the current national political climate, our community has expressed fear of data sharing with other entities, especially Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Even with the passage of Title 13 in 1954, which prohibits such data sharing, the concern remains. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, Monterey County has the highest rate of noncitizens (22%), followed by Santa Clara County (18%) and Los Angeles County (17%). The now defeated proposed citizenship question continues to have its lingering effects on communities across Monterey County, having heightened fear and increased concern for sharing personal information. Additionally, with the internet self-response form and the prevalence of online security breaches, County residents may be hesitant to participate in the Census due to fear of their information being hacked.
• Nontraditional Housing: Due to various factors, including high cost of living and a severe housing shortage, many households have an increased number of individuals living in single family households. There is a fear that Census data will be released, and households will be at risk of eviction.
The Strategic Plan outlines a dynamic variety of outreach, education and community engagement strategies that are culturally and linguistically relevant and responsive, specifically designed for the various HTC populations. Implementation of the strategies will come at an estimated cost of $1,051,000. With the State allocation to the County of Monterey of $401,996 the Complete Count Committee faces a budget shortfall at an estimated amount of $690,904. While the Complete Count Committee seeks to leverage the limited resources in partnership with our neighboring Counties of Santa Cruz and San Benito, including an ask for funding contributions from local and statewide philanthropic organizations, there is a need for an investment of $300,000 from the County of Monterey.
The Complete Count Committee has an organized structure of Action Teams and would benefit from the leadership of a Steering Committee chaired or co-chaired by an appointed member(s) of the Board of Supervisors. To ensure a streamlined communication and decision making process, the Steering Committee includes chairs of the Action Teams as members. The function of the Steering Committee would be to serve as oversight of the implementation of the Strategic Plan as developed by the Action Teams.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County partners in the 2020 Census Complete Count Committee for Monterey County include Health Department, Department of Social Services, Information Technology Department, Civil Rights Office, and Libraries.
FINANCING:
The California Governor’s Complete Count Committee agreement will provide support for implementation of the Strategic Plan in the amount of $401,996.
Consideration of the request for a one-time investment of $300,000 will decrease the cannabis assignment to $16,387,599.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
Check the related Board of Supervisors Strategic Initiatives:
X Economic Development
X Administration
X Health & Human Services
X Infrastructure
X Public Safety
Prepared by: Rosemary Soto, Management Analyst III
Approved by: Nick Chiulos, Assistant County Administrative Officer
___________________________________________ ____________________
Nicholas E. Chiulos, Assistant County Administrative Officer Date
Attachments are on file with the Clerk of the Board
Attachment A: 2020 Census Complete Count Committee for Monterey County Strategic Plan