The Barbed Wire - July 30, 2021

Members of California Congressional Delegation Call for Immediate Action on Wildfire/Drought

This week, multiple letters were sent by members of the California Congressional Delegation to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, raising concerns about the severe heat, wildfires and drought, especially in counties that are not covered by drought disaster designations. In a letter led by Senator Dianne Feinstein and co-signed by Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento), Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel), and Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), the members urged the USDA to open relief programs up to more producers that have lost crops and livestock to the ongoing droughts, extreme heat and wildfires. In a separate letter sent by Representative Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) and other members of the Congressional Western Caucus, the group called on Vilsack to take immediate action on the drought crisis that is impacting communities across the West.

Register for RCRC’s 2021 Annual Meeting in Monterey County!

RCRC’s 2021 Annual Meeting will be held September 29- October 1 at the Portola Hotel and Spa at Monterey Bay in Monterey County.  This year’s program will feature experts discussing a wide range of topics of interest to rural counties,  including a keynote address by former U.S. Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta. Register now to take advantage of our "Early Bird" pricing! 

RCRC 5th Annual Photo Contest Ending July 31st – Submit Your Photos Today!

The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) is holding its Fifth Annual Rural County Photo Contest from July 1 through July 31, 2021. The contest invites amateur photographers to capture life in rural California by showcasing the beautiful scenery, activities, communities, history, and charm of RCRC’s 37 member counties.

Photo entries should be sent to photocontest@rcrcnet.org. All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. on July 31, 2021 and must include:

• Location where the photo was taken, including the county in which it was taken; and
• Photographer’s full name and email address.

The grand prize winner will receive a $50 gift card, and the winning image will be displayed during RCRC's Annual Meeting taking place September 29 - October 1, 2021 in Monterey County. Contest details, a printable flyer, and official rules are available here.

National Opioids Settlement Informational Webinar for Non-Litigating Entities, August 6

On July 21st a proposed nationwide settlement was announced which would resolve opioids litigation brought by states and local political subdivisions against the three largest pharmaceutical distributors. 

If approved and adopted, the settlement is anticipated to provide funding for all California counties, including those that did not participate in the litigation, with some caveats. While not yet approved, states and subdivisions have a relatively short timeframe within which they must decide whether to sign onto the national settlement (30 days for the state and 150 days for local governments) in order to bring the maximum amount of settlement money (over $2 billion) into California. 

The lead counsel for litigant rural counties is providing an informational webinar on Friday, August 6th at 10:30 a.m. to discuss the settlement and how it could potentially impact non-litigating jurisdictions. This webinar is complimentary for member cities of Cal Cities and member counties of CSAC and RCRC. Find additional information and sign up for the webinar here. 

Bill to Invest in Water Infrastructure Projects

Last week, Senators Alex Padilla (D-California) and Dianne Feinstein (D-California) introduced legislation to boost funding for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Pilot Program for Alternative Water Source Projects grants program. The Water Reuse and Resiliency Act (S. 2454) would authorize $1 billion over five years for the EPA’s Pilot Program for Alternative Water Source Projects grants program. This funding increase will help promote groundwater recharge, stormwater capture and reuse, water recycling projects and is an increase from the $125 million over five years authorized for the program in the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act passed by the Senate in April.

Infrastructure Update

On Wednesday, shortly after news surfaced that Democrats and Republicans had brokered a deal on the details of the bipartisan infrastructure package, the Senate invoked cloture on the package by a 67-32 vote. The full final text of the bill is still not available – but click here for a fact sheet and here for a summary document. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) has maintained that the upper chamber will remain in session until senators pass the bipartisan infrastructure package — being referred to as the “BIF” — as well as a budget resolution. This budget resolution will kickstart the process of advancing the $3.5 trillion package with the remainder of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure priorities, including so-called “human infrastructure,” under budget reconciliation procedures. 

All eyes will now be on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California), who has maintained that she will not send the bipartisan infrastructure package to the House floor until she “has the rest of the initiative,” referring to the $3.5 trillion package

The final version of the Senate bill was $29 billion lower than the original $579 billion legislative framework agreed upon by White House and Senate negotiators in June and would be a one-time supplemental appropriation. The $1.2 trillion cumulative deal contains $550 billion in spending above baseline infrastructure spending along with $65 billion for broadband and $55 billion for “water infrastructure.” 

• Of the $65 billion for broadband, the largest portion of funding ($40 billion) goes to “Grants to States for Development” based on a “formula-based grant program.” Projects would have a 100/20 megabits per second download/upload build standard. 
• Additionally, there is $200 billion for “Support for Rural Areas” administrated by the USDA as well as $600 billion for states to issue Private Activity Bonds (PABs) to finance broadband deployment specifically for projects in rural areas.  
• In the funding for Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure is a note that “Federal funding will have a particular focus on rural, disadvantaged, and hard-to-reach communities”, a key statement given the concern amongst rural counties of being left out of this infrastructure development effort.

Disaster Assistance Legislation

On Tuesday, the House Agriculture Committee advanced the WHIP+ Reauthorization Act (HR. 267) by a unanimous vote.  This legislation would reactivate the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) for all 2020 and 2021 natural disasters. It was introduced by bipartisan group of Representatives from Western states including Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel), Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove), Jim Costa (D-Fresno), Jared Huffman (D-Marina), and Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale). The bill provides a boost to a program that is an important lifeline for agricultural producers whose crops were damaged by disaster, including smoke from fires.

California State Legislature on Summer Recess, Slated to Reconvene August 16

The California State Legislature is currently on summer recess. Both the Assembly and the Senate are slated to reconvene on Monday, August 16th.The full 2021 Legislative Calendar may be viewed here.

Randy Moore Officially Sworn in as Chief of the U.S. Forest Service

On Monday, Randy Moore took the oath of office as Chief of the Forest Service. He is the 20th person to lead the 116-year-old agency and succeeds Vicki Christensen, who has retired. Moore has been with USDA since 1978 in various positions across the country and has tackled some of the most difficult national forest land issues in California during his tenure, including tree mortality and worsening impacts from climate change. He has also worked to forge more productive partnerships with California’s state and local governments. Notably, Moore worked with RCRC and the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) to establish a memorandum of agreement for communication between the USFS and counties to help improve relationships between communities and officials at national forests.

2021-22 State Budget Act Includes Historic Increase for University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources

On July 12, Governor Newsom signed the 2021-22 State Budget Act, which includes a historic increase for the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). In addition to restoring UC ANR’s budget to pre-COVID levels of FY 2019-20, the division’s budget was augmented with an additional $32 million in ongoing funding, bringing total state support to $107.9 million. UC ANR, which includes the county-based UC Cooperative Extension, Integrated Pest Management and 4-H Youth Development programs, is expected to use the budget augmentation to fill scores of vacancies throughout the division, including the several dozen vacant positions at UC Extension.

Over the past 20 years, state funding for UC ANR decreased by almost 50% (adjusted for inflation), resulting in a significant reduction of UC ANR’s Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists – from 427 positions in 2001 down to only 269 in 2021 – creating vacancies in many critical positions.

With this new funding, UC ANR will begin recruiting for 20 UC Cooperative Extension academic positions and prioritizing many more critical positions for hiring during the next several months. 

To learn more about how UC ANR contributes to economic prosperity, protects natural resources, develops an inclusive and equitable society, safeguards food, develops the workforce, builds climate resilience, and promotes the health of people and communities in California, see the stories in its 2020 annual report here.

Senate Agriculture Committee Advances Moffitt Nomination

On Monday, the Senate Agriculture Committee voted by voice vote to approve the nomination of Jennifer Lester Moffitt — the current undersecretary for the California Food and Agriculture Department — to be undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) marketing and regulatory programs. Moffitt’s nomination now moves to the floor of the full Senate, where she awaits approval with one other USDA nominee, Janie Simms Hipp, to be the next General Counsel. Hipp has been awaiting floor action on her nomination since being advanced by the Committee in June. Last week, RCRC sent a letter in support of Moffitt’s nomination to House and Senate Leadership.

Passing of Former Yuba County Supervisor and Assembly Member Dan Logue

Dan Logue passed away on July 22 after a long battle with kidney dysfunction and Parkinson’s disease.  Logue served on the Yuba County Board of Supervisors from 2002-2008 and as the Assembly Member for the 3rd Assembly District from 2008-2014.  Memorial services are scheduled for Saturday, August 14 at Lakeside Colonial Chapel, 840 D Street, in Marysville with graveside services following at Sierra View Cemetery in Olivehurst.

ICYMI: 2021 Redistricting Webinar Series Available for Viewing

Earlier this year, CSAC and RCRC teamed up to bring you a 2021 Redistricting Webinar Series, breaking down all you need to know about redistricting for your county.

Part 1 focused on the legal requirements, including the Voting Rights Act and changes as a result of AB 849 (2019), to provide a working knowledge of the technical aspects of redistricting. A thorough presentation by Chris Skinnell and Marguerite Leoni of Nielsen Merksamer and Douglas Johnson of the National Demographics Corporation provided counties with knowledge and insight to assist with the technicalities of redistricting. The final segment, What to Expect When You’re Redistricting, featured panelists Paul Mitchell of Redistricting Partners and Political Data Inc., David Twa, retired Chief Administrative Officer of Contra Costa County, and Supervisor Bruce Gibson of San Luis Obispo County. Participants received insights beneficial for developing an effective timeline, gathering public input, methods of line drawing, and so much more.View the recorded presentations and download the slides here.

BULLETIN BOARD

Announcements regarding hearings, grants, and public comment notices of importance to California's rural counties.

CPUC To Host Public Briefings on Utility Readiness for 2021 PSPS Events

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has announced it will host virtual public briefings for electric utilities to discuss their readiness for Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events in 2021 with the public, as well as the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and CAL FIRE. Each respective utility will provide these briefings on the following dates:

• Tuesday, August 3, 2021, from 9 am to noon: Southern California Edison (SCE)

• Tuesday, August 3, 2021, from 1 pm to 4 pm: Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E)

• Wednesday, August 4, 2021, from 9 am to noon: Small Multi-Jurisdictional Utilities (such as Liberty Utilities and PacifiCorp)

To view the workshop, see here. Public participants may also hear the event and make comments by calling 1-800-857-1917, passcode 7218384#.

LX EVOLVE

The Municipal Resource Group, a sponsor of RCRC’s 2021 Annual Meeting, is offering a comprehensive leadership development program for interested participants that starts on August 25th. For more information about the 10-month LX EVOLVE program, please see the flyer here.

Access the State Grants Portal for a Multitude of Funding Opportunities

Billions of dollars are up for grabs to public agencies and other entities, including tribes and businesses. Grant seekers can access a centralized portal of grant and loan opportunities here, or sign up to receive new grant opportunities delivered straight to your inbox. 

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) ASSISTANCE

Resource pages, deadline extensions, and available programs to assist communities impacted by COVID-19.

Coronavirus Relief Available from the Small Business Administration

The federal Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering several coronavirus relief options to help alleviate the financial hardships resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19). The programs have received an overwhelming number of applications from businesses, so be sure to check the SBA website for the latest updates on the status of these programs.

• The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provides loan forgiveness for retaining employees by temporarily expanding the traditional SBA 7(a) loan program. After initial funding was quickly depleted, the program received an infusion of an additional $310 billion, allowing the SBA to resume the program on April 27, 2020. Be sure to check the SBA website for the most recent information on the application process and availability of funds.
• The Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Emergency Advance provides up to $10,000 of economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing temporary difficulties.
• SBA Express Bridge Loans can be used to bridge the gap for businesses while applying for a direct SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan; small businesses who currently have a business relationship with an SBA Express Lender to access up to $25,000 quickly.
• SBA Debt Relief provides a financial reprieve to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you are interested in programs for other disasters, the SBA Disaster Loan Assistance portal is available here.

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.

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.

LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY UPDATE

Information related to the current status of legislation and regulations impacting California’s rural counties.