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Title:
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Supplemental Budget in the Amount of $626,348 for Public Health Emergency Response 1175455005 to Return De-Obligated Federal Emergency Management Agency Funding (4/5 Vote Required)
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Strategic Framework:
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9999 - Core Services / Other
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To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Public Health
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
SUBJECT:
title
Supplemental Budget in the Amount of $626,348 for Public Health Emergency Response 1175455005 to Return De-Obligated Federal Emergency Management Agency Funding (4/5 Vote Required)
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve attached supplemental budget for fiscal year (FY) 2025-26 in the amount of $626,348 for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHH) - Public Health, Emergency Response (1175455005) (4/5 Vote Required).
Body
STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action supports the following areas of your Board's Strategic Plan.
Area of Focus: Core Services/Other
Strategic Plan Category: 9999 - Core Services/Other
DISCUSSION:
During the COVID-19 pandemic DHHS-Public Health Fiscal performed the duties of Chief of Finance for the Emergency Operation Center (EOC). The duties of the Finance Section of the EOC are to track expenditures related to an emergency and seek Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) reimbursement. Due to the nature and length of the COVID-19 pandemic, FEMA offered to provide advance payments of 75% of estimated expenditures for large projects.
As vaccinations were made available and local health departments were requested to perform vaccination clinics. As this was anticipated to have a significant financial impact for the county, the Finance Section submitted an advance payment request to FEMA through the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) to pay for staff time, venue rental, vaccination supplies and vehicle usage.
Due to the severity and length of the emergency, FEMA did not get to the advance request until all services were rendered and the Finance Section was performing the resource recovery.
Since the initial advance payment request, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued several grants to help Public Health Departments respond to the pandemic and vaccination requirements. Grants included such grants at the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) Enhancing Detection Expansion grant and the California Immunization Program Grant.
During resource recovery it was found that the initial estimate of total expenditures to be claimed to FEMA was significantly less due to the utilization of the above-mentioned grants. The advance payment request amount received from FEMA was $941,153.33, while the actual amount due after final resource recovery reporting was $314,805.69.
It was initially anticipated that FEMA and CalOES would use this over obligation payment to offset future payments for projects from the COVID-19 pandemic. On Aug. 14th, DHHS- Public Health received notice that CalOES is requesting reimbursement of the over obligation. Repayment was not anticipated at the time of the budget development for FY 2025-26. The supplemental budget before your Board today will allow the return of de-obligated FEMA funds.
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Public Health Fund (1175), Emergency Response (455-005)
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Expenditures (1175, 455005)
FY25-26
Additional Appropriation Requested
$626,348
Total Expenditures
$626,348
Funding Sources (1175, 455005)
FY25-26
Use of Fund Balance
$626,348
Total Funding Sources
$626,348
Narrative Explanation of Financial Impact:
The initial FEMA payment occurred on April 30, 2024, in the amount of $941,153.33. The amount due to the county to reimburse for vaccination related expenditures was $314,805.69, leaving $626,347.64 as unobligated funds. DHHS-Public Health did not anticipate returning the de-obligated funds as there are still pending payments reported for projects from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Approval of this supplemental budget will allow DHHS - Public Health to return $626,347.64 of funds that have been de-obligated by FEMA. This will be paid out of the DHHS-Public Health fund balance. These funds were originally received in FY 2023-24.
STAFFING IMPACT:
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impact:
This Agenda Item will have no impact on staffing.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Your Board may choose not to approve the recommendations however, this is not recommended as it would delay the return of funds.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 1175-455005 Supplemental Budget
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: N/A
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