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COUNTY OF SAN MATEO
Inter-Departmental Correspondence
County Manager’s Office
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DATE:
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January 10, 2011
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BOARD MEETING DATE:
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January 25, 2011
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SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:
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None
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VOTE REQUIRED:
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Majority
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TO:
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Honorable Board of Supervisors
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FROM:
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David S. Boesch, County Manager
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SUBJECT:
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County Manager’s Report #2
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RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution approving San Mateo County’s Federal Funding requests for Federal Fiscal Year 2012.
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BACKGROUND:
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Each year my office works with County departments to identify and develop projects for which the County will seek federal funding (commonly referred to as earmarks). County staff then works closely with members of its Congressional delegation to secure funding for these projects. Last year (FFY 2011), San Mateo County advanced eight earmark requests. They included: Half Moon Bay Library Expansion Project, the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Sustainable Demonstration Project, San Mateo County Cogeneration Project, Consolidation of the North Fair Oaks Clinics, Pescadero Community Water System Well Project, La Honda Fire Department, Colma Creek Flood Control Channel Wall Repair Project, and the San Mateo Medical Center Ground Floor Renovation Project. Although funding in the amount of $600,000 for the North Fair Oaks Clinics Consolidation Project and $700,000 for the Colma Creek Flood Control Channel Wall Repair was included in two House federal appropriations bills that were part of a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill, the bill was defeated in the Senate in the closing days of the 111th Congress. As a result, the County will not receive federal funding for these two projects.
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Republican control of the 112th Congress promises to bring changes to the federal appropriations process where a national debate on eliminating earmarks is ongoing. Currently, House Republicans have imposed a moratorium on earmarks for the 112th Congress and in the Senate Republicans continue to debate whether they too will impose such a ban.
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DISCUSSION:
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Despite the uncertain future of earmark funding in the new Congressional session, the County’s federal advocacy team, Smith Dawson & Andrews has advised the County to prepare federal funding requests as usual. Should the Congress suspend earmark funding, our federal lobbying team will pursue funding through other channels, including direct department and agency requests. To that end, staff recommends the following projects:
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1.
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Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Visitor Center
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Department: Parks
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Amount Requested: $750,000; This request is a reworked resubmission.
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Background: Funding is sought to pay for the production of conceptual designs, construction documents, specifications, permits, project management and construction costs for a 1,200 square-foot pre-fabricated modular “green” building with a wrap-around accessible deck that will serve as the centerpiece of the Reserve’s public education programs. The building would offer interpretive displays, a meeting space for 40 people, a Park Ranger office, and a workspace for volunteers to work with specimens and interpretative materials. The Parks Department has secured a $250,000 grant from the California State Coastal Conservancy for the cost of the project and received a $424,080 earmark in FFY 2008 through the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration for interpretive exhibits and signs at the Reserve. Recently, Parks constructed the Seal Cove Stairway to provide additional public access to the beaches and tide pools of the Reserve with funding from an environmental spill settlement from a shipping container corporation.
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Project Partners: Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, California Department of Fish and Game, Friends of Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, San Mateo County Parks and Recreation Foundation, local schools, local conservation organizations, neighbors, and environmentalists.
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2.
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Replacement of San Bruno Stormwater Pump Stations
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Department: Public Works
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Amount Requested: $11,000,000; New funding request.
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Background: Public Works seeks federal funding to replace two aging stormwater pumping stations at the eastern border of San Bruno—the Walnut Avenue Stormwater Pumping Station and the Angus Avenue Stormwater Pumping Station. This area of San Bruno lies at or below sea level where stormwater runoff must be pumped over an existing levee and the two pumping stations. Were one or both of these pumps to fail during a moderate to severe storm event, neighborhoods to the east of El Camino Real would soon begin to flood. Estimates are that approximately 5,000 to 10,000 residents would be affected by the flooding of this area.
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Project Partners: City of San Bruno, County of San Mateo/San Mateo County Flood Control District
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3.
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Mirada Road Coastal Trail Segment
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Department: Public Works
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Amount Requested: $1.5 million; New funding request.
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Background: This project proposes the construction of an underground sheet pile wall that would protect Mirada Road from further erosion by heavy surf. The project would create a one-way bicycle and pedestrian path, in lieu of the current two lane road, to accommodate the existing and projected heavy use. It would also protect local business interests within the corridor and ensure unrestricted access for local residents. This project would complete a gap in the Coastal Trail currently existing in this location, an area just south of an identified Area of Special Biological Significance.
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Project Partners: Mirada Road residents, San Mateo County, Coastal Trail advocates, City of Half Moon Bay, local businesses, and regional planners.
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4.
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Half Moon Bay Library Improvement Project
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Department: San Mateo County Public Library
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Amount Requested: $500,000; Resubmitted funding request.
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Background: The SMC Library seeks to secure the funding needed to complete the costs for an expansion and renovation of the County Library in Half Moon Bay. The project would pay for the construction of a community meeting space and technology lab at the library. The new community room would provide a space to provide programs on employment, homework assistance, English literacy, and serve as a community space for residents to gather for events, activities, and meetings. The computer lab would provide job seekers, local business people and students with a state of the art technology resources needed to succeed. The result would be a library that supports today’s standards for contemporary library service.
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For the past ten years, the San Mateo County Public Library has worked hard to raise funds for the construction of new library facilities. In FFY 2010, it secured a $200,000 federal funding appropriation from the office of Congresswoman Anna Eshoo for the project and $2.1 million in private and public funds through the City of Half Moon Bay and matching funds from the County. However, an additional half million dollars is needed to complete funding for the project.
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Project Partners: Coastside Chamber of Commerce, Cabrillo Unified School District, Pescadero-LaHonda Unified School District, Senior Coastsiders, Puente de la Costa Sur, and the Boys and Girls Club of the Coastside
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5.
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Data Systems Improvements for Sex Offender Case Management
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Department: Probation
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Amount Requested: None specified; New funding request.
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Background: The Probation Department seeks federal funds to build IT infrastructure and capacity to collect, track, monitor, and report key data points required for effective supervision of convicted sex offenders on probation. The funding will be used to achieve the following: 1) build histories into the current information management system in order to comply with data requirements for tracking sex offender registrants; 2) expand the Department’s program module, including specific treatment, and registration-related data elements; 3) integrate risk level data outcomes for each client from several risk assessment tools; and 4) create a suite of reports to comply with state and federal regulations. Benefits from federal funds extend beyond the County: officers participate in local, state and federal collaborative task forces and sweeps to ensure the enforcement of federal sex offender registration and special court conditions to promote the safety of the community and protect victims from being re-victimized.
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Project Partners: None provided.
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6.
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Safety Vests for SMC Probation Officers
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Department: Probation
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Amount Requested: $73,000; New funding request.
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Background: The Probation Department seeks funding to buy 112 ballistic vests. Ballistic vests are a key piece of the equipment to ensure Probation Officer (POs) safety while conducting field search and seizures, participating in the countywide Gang Task Force and performing other field work in high-risk areas of the County. Since increased numbers of POs have been armed to protect themselves while working with high-risk offenders, including returning parolees from state prisons, the Department has recognized a critical need to provide an adequate and appropriate level of officer safety equipment. Currently the Department does not have compliant equipment to fully ensure protection for armed officers. Although federal monies have been previously provided to the Sheriff’s Office, Probation has never directly benefited. Occasionally in the past, Probation was able to indirectly receive funds from remaining capacity on the Sheriff’s request. Probation does not have the ability to budget for vests according to need. Not including those officers who already have appropriate vests, this one-time request will provide for the Department’s needs for 5 years. Allowing POs to have an increased sense of security will increase their ability to be out in high-risk areas and with high-risk offenders performing the Department’s critical role in helping offenders stay in their communities and to become productive citizens while also maintaining the safety of all residents of the community.
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Project Partners: None provided.
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7.
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Correctional Health Services—Health Care Interpreter Network
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Department: Health System, Correctional Health Services
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Amount Requested: $350,000; New funding request.
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Background: The Health System seeks funding to purchase start-up equipment and to pay for technology infrastructure costs for McGuire Jail to join the Health Care Interpreter Network (HCIN), which provides interpretive services to California hospitals and health care providers throughout the state via an automated video/voice call center system. Videoconferencing devices and telephones would be purchased for the men’s jail to enable Correctional Health Staff at every point of patient contact to reach an interpreter on demand, 24 hours, 7 days per week, in 170 languages, at a very manageable cost. Since SMMC is currently a member of HCIN, the Department does not anticipate significant on-going costs associated with the service.
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Project Partners: None provided.
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8.
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Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Technical Infrastructure Upgrade
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Department: Health System, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services
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Amount Requested: $350,000; New request.
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Background: BHRS seeks federal funding to purchase computers, networking equipment, training, and support services for 14 community based organizations that contract with SMC BHRS to provide substance abuse services to County residents. The Health System is in the middle of a project to implement an electronic health record (EHR) for all its service providers. The project is finishing at the mental health clinics and is planning for implementation at the AOD clinics. The state of technology infrastructure at these community based organizations is bleak and they do not have the resources to support an EHR. This project would upgrade the technology capacity of the contracted providers and provide training to their staff. It is a necessary component to implementing the EHR for these agencies. Goals of the project are to improve client treatment, enhance integrated care with mental health and primary care providers and to facilitate service utilization billing to increase Medicaid and third party payer revenue.
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Project Partners: None provided.
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9.
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SMMC Ground Floor and 1B Remodel
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Department: San Mateo Medical Center
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Amount Requested: $322,000; Resubmission
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Background: The SMMC seeks federal funding to upgrade the ground floor of the Medical Center for the relocation of 98 residents that currently reside at the County operated Burlingame Long Term Care facility. Monies will be used for an OSPHD survey to bring the vacant floor up to code; CDPH licensing fees to take the beds out of suspension, to complete furniture to set up each room, and construction costs. The renovated space will be a seismically approved location in the hospital. The new space would provide a safer environment with less County funds.
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Project Partners: None provided.
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Approval of this resolution contributes to the Shared Vision of 2025 of a Collaborative Community by working with the federal government to secure federal funding for County projects. The Resolution has been reviewed and approved as to form by County Counsel.
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Performance Measure(s):
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Measure
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FY 2009-10
Actual
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FY 2010-11
Projected
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Number of legislation related actions taken- County actions (support/oppose/amend)
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57
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50
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FISCAL IMPACT:
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Unknown, but only positive if appropriations are granted.
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