The Barbed Wire - April 10, 2020

April 10, 2020
RCRC Supports Newly Introduced Relief Act to Direct Federal Funding to Rural Counties
RCRC Requests Full and Permanent Funding for the Federal Payments in Lieu of Taxes Program
Fish and Game Commission Postpones Meeting to Consider Emergency Fishing Season Relief
RCRC Requests Formal Participation in Broadband Proceeding at the CPUC
Bill of the Week: Assembly Bill 2178 (Levine) – Emergency Services
RCRC Responds to Utility Wildfire Mitigation Plans
CDFA Extends Comment Deadline for Cannabis Appellations
CalPERS Preparedness and Resiliency Webinar
BULLETIN BOARD
CATCH UP ON PAST STORIES
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) ASSISTANCE

RCRC Supports Newly Introduced Relief Act to Direct Federal Funding to Rural Counties

RCRC strongly supports H.R. 6467, the “Coronavirus Community Relief Act” (CCRA), introduced this week in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative Joe Neguse (D-Colorado). CCRA would provide $250 billion in stabilization funds for local communities, cities, and towns with a population of 500,000 or less that are struggling amidst the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This direct funding is essential and much-needed to keep California’s rural residents safe by continuing to provide critical services at a meaningful rate. On Thursday, RCRC submitted a letter of support and appreciation to Representative Neguse for addressing what we believe is an oversight in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The letter is accessible here.

Last week, RCRC urged direct stabilization funding in a letter to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Pelosi. The newly-introduced CCRA ensures that localities with a population of 500,000 or less would receive direct stabilization funds to address the outbreak as well as to financially recover once the public health emergency has passed.

RCRC Requests Full and Permanent Funding for the Federal Payments in Lieu of Taxes Program

On Thursday, RCRC sent letters to members of the RCRC congressional delegation requesting that Congress fully fund the federal Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program in Fiscal Year 2021 and make this permanent funding in subsequent years.

Enacted over forty years ago, the PILT program remains a discretionary program subject to the annual appropriations even though funding is vital for many of California’s counties. Particularly, rural counties that contain significant federal land consider these funds as an important component of their general fund budget. California’s rural counties use the PILT program to provide critical services, such as law enforcement, search and rescue, firefighting, and parks and recreation. Predictable funding for PILT would provide counties with a greater financial consistency while planning for a future that includes coronavirus-related costs that are anticipated to continue for a number of months, if not years.

View one of the RCRC letters to the House of Representatives delegation here.

Fish and Game Commission Postpones Meeting to Consider Emergency Fishing Season Relief

On Thursday, the California Fish and Game Commission (CFGC) postponed its scheduled emergency meeting to consider regulations that would give relief to certain RCRC member counties that have requested delays of seasonal recreational fishing seasons in their areas to help manage the spread of COVID-19. The web-based meeting was postponed due to an unexpectedly large public turnout and technical issues that severely hindered Commission staff’s ability to manage public comment.

While the meeting was overwhelmed with members of the public who interpreted the emergency measure as a statewide ban, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Charlton Bonham and CFGC President Eric Sklar have since jointly clarified that the regulations would only be implemented in targeted areas of the state upon request of local officials to help alleviate overcrowding. Four RCRC member counties - Alpine County, Inyo County, Mono County and Sierra County - have formally requested relief in the form of targeted delays of the upcoming opening of trout season in their areas. RCRC sent a letter of support for the emergency regulations (again, which would be acted upon after a formal request from a county authority) upon postponement of Thursday’s meeting. RCRC’s letter can be viewed here.

CDFW’s emergency regulations can be viewed here.

RCRC Requests Formal Participation in Broadband Proceeding at the CPUC

On Wednesday, RCRC requested formal party status with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on its Rulemaking considering changes to the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF), and filed comments in the proceeding on Thursday. The CASF provides qualified service providers with financial grants to construct the infrastructure necessary to deploy broadband service to unserved and underserved areas. The CPUC requested expedited feedback specifically related to how they should respond to the COVID-19 statewide emergency, such as making hotspots available. Among RCRC’s suggestions were to broaden the eligible uses of Adoption Account monies to allow for the procurement of mobile hotspots for students and teachers in areas that lack access to reliable fixed broadband. RCRC continues to advocate for long-term solutions to resolve broadband connectivity barriers, especially for rural and remote regions that lack the requisite infrastructure for wireless service.

RCRC’s full comments on broadband access during the COVID-19 emergency can be accessed here.

Bill of the Week: Assembly Bill 2178 (Levine) – Emergency Services

RCRC has lent its support to Assembly Bill 2178, authored by Assembly Member Marc Levine (D-Marin). AB 2178 clarifies that de-energization events, also known as public safety power shutoffs (PSPS), qualify as events for which a state of emergency or local emergency can be declared under the California Emergency Services Act.

Local governments often have limited resources, and last year’s PSPS events imposed significant costs to ensure that critical facilities remained operational, that local emergency response needs were met, and that medically sensitive populations were protected throughout the event. RCRC believes that the clarification is helpful to provide greater flexibility to local agencies to respond to PSPS events and to seek financial assistance from the state to recover costs associated with those activities. AB 2178 is similar in approach to Senate Bill 862 (Dodd), which RCRC is also supporting. RCRC’s support letter can be accessed here.

AB 2178 awaits consideration in the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee. For more information, John Kennedy, Legislative Advocate, can be reached at (916) 447-4806 or jkennedy@rcrcnet.org

RCRC Responds to Utility Wildfire Mitigation Plans

On Monday, RCRC sent a letter to the newly established Wildfire Safety Division for electric utility Wildfire Mitigation Plans for 2020-2022. RCRC has been a party to the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC’s) formal proceeding since March 2019, which is beginning to transition to a new process pursuant to Assembly Bill 1054 (2019). AB 1054 established a Wildfire Safety Division and created a Wildfire Safety Advisory Board to review and approve utility Wildfire Mitigation Plans on a three-year basis.

RCRC’s comments on these Plans outlined lessons learned in 2019, inspections and maintenance issues, system hardening, vegetation management, Public Safety Power Shut-offs (PSPS), situational awareness, emergency preparedness—including outreach and response—and finally metrics and monitoring. RCRC advocated for utilities to proactively consult with local governments on many fronts from vegetation management efforts to establishing community resource centers at fixed facilities, but most acutely prior to, during and after PSPS events.

The various electrical Wildfire Mitigation Plans can be found here. RCRC’s extensive letter can be accessed here.

CDFA Extends Comment Deadline for Cannabis Appellations

On Friday, April 3rd the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced an extension to receiving public comments for the formal rulemaking of the Cannabis Appellation Program, which are now due on Wednesday, May 6, 2020. Similarly, the public hearing originally scheduled for Tuesday, April 14th has been postponed. CalCannabis, the licensing entity for cannabis cultivators within the CDFA, is required to establish a process for Cannabis Appellations of Origin by January 1, 2021 pursuant to Senate Bill 94 (2017). The Cannabis Appellations Program will promote regional cannabis products and their respective local businesses to prevent the misrepresentation of a cannabis product’s origin, thus supporting consumer confidence.

More information on Cannabis Appellations can be found here. RCRC submitted comments last week prior to the original deadline. RCRC’s letter, which is the result of RCRC’s participation in the working group convened by CalCannabis, can be accessed here.

CalPERS Preparedness and Resiliency Webinar

On Wednesday, CalPERS held a webinar, “CalPERS & COVID-19: Preparedness & Resiliency for Our Employer Partners” with over 500 employer partners in attendance. The webinar was led by several members of the CalPERS executive team and included a discussion on the resiliency of the fund and the preparedness of the agency to face the current economic downturn in the wake of Covid-19. Access to the slide deck is available, and a recording of the webinar will soon be available on the CalPERS YouTube channel.

CalPERS provided an overview of the COVID-19 impacts on investments and also discussed the potential impact on employer contributions, options for employers facing the ability to make contributions, and workforce guidelines. Executives underscored that while they expect continued volatility in the markets, they will react by continuing with a long-term strategy rather than reacting emotionally to the uncertainty of the moment.

CalPERS understands income has sharply declined for many employers due to the crisis, and yet for the future health of the fund it is important that employer contributions continue. CalPERS will address short term financing and cash flow issues, on a case-by-case basis, with employers who reach out for assistance. While employer overall obligations will not be reduced, there may be relief available in the immediate, with a long term plan to get payments back on track. Additional guidance included topics such as the handling of new paid sick leave for employees, retired annuitants and employer reporting requirements during the shelter at home orders.

Check out the CalPERS response to COVID-19 for contact information, answers to frequently asked questions, and COVID-19 impacts on reportability. CalPERS expects to release a circular letter early next week to clarify the reportability of items in the federal package.

BULLETIN BOARD

Fish and Game Commission Proposes Public Use Changes to Wildlife Areas, Public Lands, and Ecological Reserves

The California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) is a Gubernatorially-appointed body with regulatory authority over the state’s public lands and wildlife conservation. In January, the Commission released a regulatory proposal to make public use changes to California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s lands, including designating recently acquired lands and removing properties the Department no longer possesses or manages.

The proposal includes designating one property as a wildlife area, seven properties as ecological reserves, and making other site-specific changes that generally impact public access and/or public safety on these managed lands in various RCRC member counties, including Inyo, Mono, San Luis Obispo, Napa and Sonoma counties.

The Commission held one public hearing on this proposal in February, and will hold another at its April 16th hearing at 9am via teleconference/webinar to accept comments. The agenda can be viewed here.

 

WIR Conference Gathering Cancelled - Stay Tuned for Alternative Dates

Due to the rapidly changing coronavirus (COVID-19) situation across the nation, after painstakingly thorough consideration, the 2020 National Association of Counties’ (NACo) Western Interstate Region (WIR) Conference scheduled to take place at Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, has been cancelled. The letter from WIR President, Supervisor Kevin Cann of Mariposa County, to the WIR Board of Directors may be viewed here.

A tremendous program was planned, and the conference team is exploring alternative options for members to utilize, including the possibility of the 2021 Conference being held in California. We encourage you to keep the WIR conference dates on your calendar. And, please plan to participate in virtual meetings and upcoming WIR workshops that may be offered as a partial replacement for Mariposa County in 2020.

For the latest WIR Conference updates, click here.

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) ASSISTANCE

Coronavirus (COVID-19) County Resource Page Available

The California State Association of Counties (CSAC), RCRC’s local government partner, continues to provide excellent up-to-date state and federal information to counties on this ever-changing pandemic event. We encourage visiting CSAC’s COVID-19 resource page, which contains vital links to all CSAC COVID-19 advocacy letters and resources. CSAC’s staff continues to work around the clock to update activities so that all of California’s counties can remain properly informed.

 

Economic Development Resources for Communities and Businesses Impacted by the Coronavirus

The California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED) has assembled resources for communities and business impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19). The page will be continually evolving as new resources become available. To go directly to the CALED resources, click here.

 

Use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds for Infectious Disease Response

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds may be used for a range of eligible activities that prevent and respond to the spread of infectious diseases such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Check out the Quick Guide to CDBG Eligible Activities to Support Infectious Disease Response for guidance and additional information.

 

Federal Disaster Loan Assistance Available from the Small Business Administration

Applications are now being accepted by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for federal disaster loans to help alleviate economic injury caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19). All fifty-eight (58) California counties are designated as eligible. To apply, please visit SBA’s Disaster Loan Assistance portal here.