REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approve Budget Modification No. 21 to Appropriate $17,700 of County of Santa Clara Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) Funds for a New Project, FY 2017/18 EMPG.
Report
BACKGROUND
The California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) awarded the County of Santa Clara, on behalf of the Santa Clara County Emergency Operational Area, Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) funding in the amount of $518,921 on November 1, 2017. The purpose of the award is to sustain and improve emergency management programs.
On October 6, 2017, the City received a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) from the County of Santa Clara (Attachment 1, Memorandum of Understanding) that will allocate $17,700 of state EMPG funds to the Department of Public Safety for Fiscal Year 2017/18. EMPG funds will be used for Emergency Management Professional Development courses and for the purchase of seven (7) laptop computers for the Department of Public Safety Emergency Operations Center (Attachment 2, Spending Plan). The MOU was fully executed on November 9, 2017.
The Division of Special Operations in the Department of Public Safety will be responsible for the management of the grant.
Granting Agency
Funding is made from Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Services (OES), a sub-recipient of funds from the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) using funds awarded by the United States Department of Homeland Security.
EXISTING POLICY
City Goal SN-2: Effective Disaster Preparedness: Ensure that the City, its community members, business, faith-based organizations, community organizations and special needs populations are prepared to effectively respond and recover from major disasters and emergencies.
Council Policy 7.1.5 Donations, Contributions and Sponsorships:
The city manager may accept or reject donations, contributions and sponsorships, both solicited and unsolicited, of money, equipment and in-kind contributions to City Departments or the City in general up to $100,000, so long as they do not require a local match or obligate the City to ongoing expenses not already planned in the City’s Resource Allocation Plan. Donated funds will be expended for the specific purpose as agreed upon with the donor or for general purposes, as onetime supplements to the department’s operating budget. Donations of equipment will be considered based on program outcomes, department goals and needs, maintenance costs and replacement costs. The donor must be informed in writing if the equipment is not to be replaced.
The city manager may apply for grants of any dollar amount, but shall notify the Council when grants are being pursued pursuant to Council Policy 7.1.1 (Fiscal -Long Range Goals and Financial Policies), B.4. (Grants and Intergovernmental Assistance). The city manager may accept and appropriate grant funds up to $100,000 that do not require a local match or obligate the City to any ongoing expenses, through an administrative budget modification. Any grants of $100,000 or more, or that require a local match or obligate the City to ongoing expenses, shall require Council approval of a budget modification before funds can be expended by staff. The budget modification shall include the use to which the grant will be placed; the objectives or goals of the City that will be achieved through use of the grant; the local match required, if any, plus the source of the local match; any increased cost to be locally funded upon termination of the grant; and the ability of the City to administer the grant.
Grant funds from County of Santa Clara Office of Emergency Services have external reporting requirements and fall under the federal single audit guidelines.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” with the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378 (b) (4) in that it is a fiscal activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potential significant impact on the environment.
DISCUSSION
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is a critical component of the City of Sunnyvale’s Emergency Plan. The EOC is activated in the event of emergency situations associated with natural disasters and other large-scale incidents that pose major threats to life and property and can affect the well-being of many people.
This grant will provide necessary additions to existing technology that is essential to the successful operation of the EOC, and required continuing education and credentialing training for the EOC Coordinator (Attachment 2, Spending Plan). The allocation of funds from County OES is based on the attached Spending Plan, which was developed by the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety EOC Coordinator with support from County OES.
Budget Modification No. 21 has been prepared to appropriate Santa Clara County Emergency Management Performance (EMPG) funds in the amount of $17,700, for Emergency Management Professional Development courses and for the purchase of seven (7) laptop computers for the DPS Emergency Operations Center, to a new project, FY 2017/18 EMPG.
Budget Modification No. 21
FY 2017/18
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Current |
Increase/ (Decrease) |
Revised |
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General Fund |
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Expenditures |
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New Project-FY 2017/18 EMPG |
$ 0 |
$17,700 |
$17,700 |
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Revenues |
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Santa Clara County OES - EMPG funding |
$ 0 |
$17,700 |
$17,700 |
FISCAL IMPACT
Required Local Match
The City is required to pay 10% of the cost of Emergency Professional Manager Development Courses, excluding meals. There are an anticipated four courses funded by this grant, estimated to cost $1,200 each. The City’s match will be approximately 4 x $120, or $480.
Funding Source
The required local match of $480 will be absorbed in the Department of Public Safety operating budget for FY 2017/18. The Department of Public Safety is funded by the General Fund.
Increased Cost to City Upon Grant Termination
Annual costs for ongoing maintenance of seven (7) laptop computers are estimated to be $ 770: replacement costs will be approximately $12,000 when the laptops reach the end of their useful life.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Community Center and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Sunnyvale Public Library, the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve Budget Modification No. 21 to appropriate Santa Clara County Emergency Management Performance (EMPG) funds in the amount of $17,700 to a new project, FY 2017/18 EMPG.
Staff
Prepared by: Elaine Ketell, Management Analyst
Reviewed by: Phan S. Ngo, Director of Public Safety
Reviewed by: Timothy J. Kirby, Director of Finance
Reviewed by: Teri Silva, Interim Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, Interim City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Memorandum of Understanding
2. Spending Plan