The Barbed Wire - April 24, 2020

April 24, 2020
Federal Healthcare Funding Provided to Rural Communities
Bill of the Week: Coronavirus Community Relief Act (Feinstein)
RCRC works with Assembly Member Bigelow and Supervisor Corless to Urge the CPUC to Protect Elections from PSPS Impacts
Water Infrastructure Proposals Get Revealed in the U.S. Senate
Update on the Status of the Sites Reservoir Project
President Trump Suspends Legal Immigration into the U.S.
State’s Digital Divide Taskforce Conducts First Meeting
Broadband Infrastructure a Top Priority to the President
Governor Issues Emergency Relief Provisions for Recycling Operations
Executive Order Temporarily Suspends Some CEQA Posting Requirements and Tribal Consultation Timelines
$30 million Awarded to Key RCRC Counties for Cannabis Equity Grants
BULLETIN BOARD
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) ASSISTANCE

Federal Healthcare Funding Provided to Rural Communities

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded nearly $165 million to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in rural communities. These investments will support 1,779 small rural hospitals and provide additional funding to 14 HRSA-funded Telehealth Resource Centers to provide technical assistance on telehealth to help rural and underserved areas combat COVID-19. The California Department of Health Care Services is slated to receive $4,215,850 of this funding (click here for a full list of recipients.)

Bill of the Week: Coronavirus Community Relief Act (Feinstein)

RCRC strongly supports the Coronavirus Community Relief Act (Act), authored by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California). The Act would provide $250 billion in stabilization funds directly to counties and cities with a population of 500,000 or less that are struggling amidst the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

While the recently-enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act provides direct funding to counties (and cities within) with populations in excess of 500,000, smaller counties are required to obtain allocations through the state. Counties, particularly low-population counties, are now facing enormous costs and are under immense fiscal strain due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Without direct and immediate stabilization funding, it would be extremely difficult for these counites to continue providing vital county services. The Act ensures that all communities, regardless of size, receives direct stabilization funds to address the outbreak as well as recover once the pandemic has passed.

Furthermore, RCRC requested that any future legislation enacted in the coming weeks recognize that counties’ front-line activities (i.e. operating Public Health Departments, processing and relocating jail inmates, providing police services, and assisting with social services eligibility) are greatly impacted by the pandemic; thus, the overwhelming share of any subsequent low-population funding should be forwarded directly to counties.

RCRC’s support letter can be accessed here. To read more about Senator Feinstein’s bill and other ongoing advocacy efforts to respond to COVID-19, please visit Wednesday’s special edition of The Barbed Wire. For more information, Paul A. Smith, RCRC Senior Vice President Governmental Affairs, can be reached at (916) 447-4806 or psmith@rcrcnet.org.

RCRC works with Assembly Member Bigelow and Supervisor Corless to Urge the CPUC to Protect Elections from PSPS Impacts

On Thursday, Assembly Member Frank Bigelow (R-Madera) and Mono County Supervisor Stacy Corless, who serves as First Vice Chair of RCRC, requested the CPUC take a number of actions to ensure that PSPS events do not adversely impact future elections. Noting that the loss of electricity could have a debilitating impact on the ability to conduct elections and tabulate results, the authors urged the CPUC to direct electrical corporations to:

  • Meet and coordinate with county elections officials for counties that are at risk of losing electricity during a de-energization event at least three months prior to any election and develop a contingency plan for conducting an election concurrently with a de-energization event.
  • Provide backup generators to local elections officials when necessary during a de-energization event.
  • Work to pre-wire facilities for backup generation if not already pre-wired or equipped with backup generation.
  • Notify a county’s elections official of a potential de-energization event at the same time it provides advanced notifications to critical facilities and public safety partners.

A copy of the letter sent by Assembly Member Bigelow and Supervisor Corless can be found here.

Water Infrastructure Proposals Get Revealed in the U.S. Senate

On Tuesday, Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) and Senator Tom Carper (D-Delaware) of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, released a pair of draft bills aimed at boosting the country's water infrastructure. The bills are titled America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 (AWIA 2020) and the Drinking Water Infrastructure Act of 2020. Both bills build on the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (S. 3021) that was signed into law in 2018. The draft of AWIA 2020 includes approximately $17 billion for increasing water storage, providing protection from dangerous floodwaters, deepening nationally significant ports, and maintaining the navigability of inland waterways across the country. The draft of the Drinking Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 includes approximately $2.5 billion to reauthorize programs under the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide resources and technical assistance to communities to help meet their drinking water needs. The section-by-section of the draft AWIA 2020 is available here, and the section-by-section of the Drinking Water Infrastructure Act is found here

Update on the Status of the Sites Reservoir Project

Earlier this week the Sites Project Authority (Authority) announced its intent to revise and recirculate its environmental document for the Sites Reservoir project. Over the past several months, the Authority has undertaken a Value Planning effort to review the project’s proposed operations and facilities in an effort to develop a project that is “right sized” for current participants while still providing water supply reliability and enhancing the environment. According to the Authority, the process has resulted in a project that includes facilities and operations that are different than originally proposed in the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) released for public review in 2017. As a result, the Authority, in its role as the lead agency, will revise and recirculate its Draft EIR and work with landowners, tribes, stakeholders, non-governmental organizations, and local communities to conduct a collaborative environmental review process. The Authority will also coordinate with the Bureau of Reclamation to confirm the appropriate approach to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act. Revisions to the EIR are also underway. A revised and recirculated EIR is expected to be released for public review in Summer 2021. The Authority is coordinating with the Bureau of Reclamation on how best to move forward with the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) with the goal of remaining a joint EIR/EIS to facilitate the public review process.

Sites Reservoir has been described as a generational opportunity to construct a multi-benefit water storage project that helps restore flexibility, reliability, and resiliency to our statewide water supply. Located in Glenn and Colusa Counties, Sites Reservoir would be an off-stream storage facility that captures and stores stormwater flows in the Sacramento River—after all other water rights and regulatory requirements are met—for release primarily in dry and critical years for environmental use and for California communities, farms and businesses when it is so desperately needed.

Additional information can be found at www.sitesproject.org.

President Trump Suspends Legal Immigration into the U.S.

On Wednesday, President Trump issued a proclamation suspending and limiting entry of legal immigrants to the United States for a period of 60 days. The proclamation, effective in the late hours of yesterday, indicates the temporary suspension of entry for new permanent residents is due to the inadequacy of existing immigrant visa processing protections, strain on healthcare resources, and the desire to limit additional competition for scarce jobs during this time of record unemployment. The President identifies the purpose of this proclamation as two-fold: reduce the likelihood of a prolonged economic recovery that could result if labor supply continues to outpace the demand for labor; and reduce the demands on consular officers amidst staffing disruptions. Several exclusions are contained within the proclamation, including exclusions for certain family members of U.S. citizens, members of the Armed Forces, and those seeking to enter as medical professionals or others who would perform work essential to alleviating the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. The specific provisions and exclusions of the proclamation are available here.

RCRC is working with our federal advocate to determine the status of vital agricultural workers and what allowances can be made for them to enter the country to assist with harvests and food processing.

State’s Digital Divide Taskforce Conducts First Meeting

On Monday, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond held the first Digital Divide Taskforce (Taskforce) meeting to hear from internet service providers on their respective efforts to mitigate the impacts on students struggling with connectivity issues during the COVID-19 crisis. The Taskforce also heard testimony from educational leaders representing two California school districts, including the Superintendent of the Williams Unified School District in Colusa County. Both urban and rural school districts are grappling with the cumulative effects of inequitable broadband deployment in California which has deprived rural students of any viable internet access and, similarly, urban students from any affordable access options.

The Taskforce was established by the State Superintendent on April 16th and is comprised of six legislative members, including three Assemblymembers representing rural districts. The Taskforce was formed to find solutions to the pervasive technology gap that continues to exist and to create a formal plan for closing the digital divide. More information on the Taskforce can be found here.

Broadband Infrastructure a Top Priority to the President

In response to conversations regarding the White Houses’ priorities for an upcoming Phase 4 of Coronavirus funding, President Trump tweeted on Tuesday that broadband internet will be one of his own top priorities. In addition to broadband, Trump called for infrastructure investments in “Bridges, Tunnels, Broadband, Tax Incentives for Restaurants, Entertainment, Sports, and Payroll Tax Cuts to increase Economic Growth.” He also added at a news briefing later that day that “farmers have been treated terribly when it comes to the internet." The $484 billion coronavirus relief bill, passed by Congress earlier this week and signed by the President today, still needs to be implemented before Congress can begin talks on a next phase of funding.

Governor Issues Emergency Relief Provisions for Recycling Operations

Governor Newsom yesterday issued an Executive Order (EO) containing a number of provisions that suspend key requirements regarding recycling operations. The primary purpose of the order is to provide relief to all levels of the recycling infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic. The provisions include:

  • A 60-day suspension of the statewide ban on one-time use bags, including the 10-cent charge to consumers for one-time use bags. Note that this provision does not apply to local jurisdictions that had bans in place before 2015.
  • A 60-day suspension of provisions in the bottle bill that mandate certain facility operation hours, along with new guidelines for accepting handling fees that CalRecycle is required to develop by April 27, 2020.
  • A 60-day suspension of provisions in the bottle bill related to operational mandates surrounding convenience zones.

The provisions of the EO will take effect immediately and were issued in concert with several provisions relating to CEQA modifications. RCRC’s ESJPA (which addresses a number of solid waste-related issues) is closely monitoring this development including requests to the Administration to consider other easing of municipal solid waste requirements.

Executive Order Temporarily Suspends Some CEQA Posting Requirements and Tribal Consultation Timelines

Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-54-20 makes a few procedural changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for projects undergoing or deemed exempt from CEQA for a period of 60 days, including:

  • Suspending the following notice requirements:
    • The requirement to physically post notices in the Clerk’s office (note - this does NOT suspend other existing requirements for those CEQA notices to be mailed, e-mailed, published, or posted near and at the site of the project)
    • The requirement to post a Notice of Exemption or Notice of Decision (note – it is not clear what impact this suspension has on the statute of limitations for challenging the project nor whether those notices must be posted once the 60-day suspension expires)

Both suspensions are conditioned upon posting the materials on the agency’s public website, submitting the materials to the State Clearinghouse, and providing outreach to individual and entities known to be interested in the project. And, these suspensions do not impact existing timelines for public review.

  • Suspending the timelines for Native American tribes to request, and lead agencies to initiate, consultation under AB 52. This effectively provides an extra 60 days for that consultation process to begin.

$30 million Awarded to Key RCRC Counties for Cannabis Equity Grants

On Tuesday, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) announced the recipients of cannabis equity grants. These grants are designed to promote social equity and eliminate barriers to populations and communities that were disproportionately harmed by cannabis prohibition. They are funded primarily from cannabis excise taxes and regulatory fees.

With the assistance of the Center for Rural Policy at Humboldt State University, both Mendocino and Humboldt Counties each received over $2 million out of the total $30 million awarded for their respective equity programs. The Counties of Lake, Monterey and Nevada were also awarded technical assistance dollars for the creation or development of local cannabis equity programs.

To view the full GO-Biz announcement, including all awardees, see here.

BULLETIN BOARD

RCRC April Board Meeting Canceled – June Board Meeting Slated for Merced County

Due to the worldwide events surrounding Coronavirus (COVID-19), the April meeting of the RCRC Board of Directors has been canceled. The meeting was scheduled to occur in Merced County next week, as it is customary to hold one board meeting a year in the County of the Chair.

Currently, plans are underway to hold the June meeting of the RCRC Board of Directors in Merced County on June 16-18, 2020. As the status of California’s stay-at-home order is re-evaluated in the coming weeks, arrangements are subject to change. The latest information and registration for the June meeting of the RCRC Board of Directors is available here.

 

State Water Resources Control Board to Hold Public Workshop About Clean Water State Revolving Fund

The State Water Board's Division of Financial Assistance (DFA) will be conducting a public workshop and webinar to discuss the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Intended Use Plans (IUP). This is an opportunity to hear about the changes to the CWSRF and DWSRF Programs in this year’s IUPs and ask questions about the proposed changes. The workshop will also provide the status of the Programs, the proposed schedule for the State Water Board’s consideration and approval of the IUPs, and the Division’s implementation plans.

The meeting will occur through remote presence only, on April 29, 2020 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. For additional information, or for details about how to watch or participate in the meeting see the notice here.

 

County Drought Advisory Group – Public Review Draft

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has released the public review draft of the report, “Small Water Suppliers and Rural Communities at Risk of Drought and Water Shortage Vulnerability and Recommendations and Guidance to Address the Planning Needs of these Communities” (appendices available here). The report assesses the drought risk to small water districts and rural communities, provides recommendations to improve planning for drought and water shortage, and highlights two new web tools that provide vulnerability assessment.

RCRC is reviewing the draft for comment and, upon initial review, several recommendations directed specifically at counties may raise potential concerns. Counties are encouraged to review the report and provide comments. Comments may be submitted to DWR using a webform, or by email and must be received by 5:00 p.m. on June 19, 2020. Two DWR webinars are planned during the comment period, to discuss the report and the risk scoring tool. DWR will announce webinar details at a later date.

 

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.

To learn about RCRC’s support to expedite the distribution of $19 million in CARES Act/CDBG funds for low-population cities and counties, check out the story in Wednesday’s special edition of The Barbed Wire.

 

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.