Title
Chief Administrative Office, Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Preparedness and Response Division, recommending the Board:
1) Approve the use of the Fiscal Year 2020 Community Power Resiliency Allocation ($199,745) as recommended by the El Dorado County Continuity Coordination Implementation Group and Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services; and
2) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign the attached budget transfer, increasing revenues and appropriations in the Sheriff's Office and the Chief Administrative Office (4/5 vote required).
FUNDING: California Office of Emergency Services Community Power Resiliency Allocation.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), the electrical power provider for the County’s West Slope, implemented its “Public Safety Power Shutoff” policy in 2019. This policy provides for de-energization of PG&E’s service areas when gusty winds and dry conditions combine with a high fire risk. In 2019 and 2020, El Dorado County experienced a number of multiple-day power shutoffs, some of which affected more than 50,000 customers within the County.
In 2019, recognizing how these power outages can affect local governments’ ability to serve the public, the Governor and Legislature included a one-time $75 million dollar allocation in the 2019 State Budget to provide funding to support state and local government efforts to improve resilience in response to the PSPS events. Half of the funding was allocated to local governments, and El Dorado County’s allocation was $399,490.
On October 2, 2020, El Dorado County was notified that the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services approved the FY 2020-21 Community Power Resiliency allocation to El Dorado County in the amount of $199,745. Per the notification, at least fifty percent of the allocation ($99,873) must be utilized to support one or more resilience areas: schools, election offices, food storage reserves and/or COVID-19 testing sites.
Allowable uses include:
• Equipment purchases
o Generators and generator connections for essential facilities, with an emphasis on clean energy and green solutions where possible or other alternative backup power sources
o Generator fuel and storage
o Redundant emergency communications (e.g., battery-powered radios);
o Portable vehicle-mounted charging stations
o Portable battery-powered and rechargeable radio repeater and transmission equipment.
• Plans
Funds may be used for the development/update of:
o Continuity plans;
o Contingency plans for electrical disruptions that include considerations such as protecting individuals with access and functional needs, medical baseline and socially vulnerable populations, transportation, emergency public information, and preservation of essential functions;
o Risk assessments for critical infrastructure and lifelines;
o Post-event reports that identify lessons learned and corrective actions; and
o Public education materials or supplies focused on individual family preparedness for electric disruptions.
o One-time costs associated with identifying and equipping resource centers for the public to access during electrical disruptions.
Response costs associated with electric disruption events, including any staffing or new positions, Emergency Operations Center staffing, security, law or fire response, and overtime charges are not allowable expenses.
The El Dorado County Continuity Coordination Implementation Group (CCIG) is tasked with implementing the County’s Continuity of Operations and Government Plan (COOP/COG). This group reviewed the work that has been done to date in ensuring back-up power generation at County facilities utilizing the 2019 allocation, in addition to funding received by departments from other sources (e.g. the Elections Department received funding from the Secretary of State’s Elections division).
After reviewing the facilities still requiring back-up power infrastructure and considering the need to utilize 50% of the funds on a resiliency project, the group utilized the criteria developed previously to recommend projects to be funded. In declining order of priority, the criteria were:
1. No alternative funding available
2. Support of government function
a. Critical (public safety)
b. Core function (continuity of government)
c. Risk mitigation/preservation of resources
3. Benefit to multiple agencies
The attached list is being presented to the Board for consideration.
The following recommended uses all meet the criteria above.
o Resiliency Area Project ($99,873): COVID-19 Testing Site
The El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville has been serving, and will continue to serve as a COVID-19 testing location. The funding will be used for emergency power generation to ensure continuity of the testing site through power outages. The estimated cost of the project is $95,949.55
o Remaining Allocation ($99,872): Generators - Various County locations
The Facilities Division has been installing and upgrading infrastructure on County buildings to ensure back-up power is available to continue County operations during PSPS events. The CCIG is recommending the remaining $99,872 be used to continue and complete projects currently underway. Projects include:
§ Placerville Jail
§ Building A
§ Building B
§ County Radio Repeaters
The CCIG does not support adding generator capacity to facilities for the purpose of opening Community Resource Centers. This has been, and should continue to be, the responsibility of PG&E. The consensus was that the focus of this limited source of funding should be on public safety and continuity of government.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could propose additional or alternate uses.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
19-1844 - Approval of 2019 PSPS Resiliency Allocation
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
COOP/COG Implementation Group, OES
CAO RECOMMENDATION
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This is a one-time allocation from the State and does not require a County match.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Obtain the Chair's signature on the budget transfer form and return the fully executed form to the CAO.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Good Governance- maintaining governmental operations and services during an extended outage supports the public and demonstrates good stewardship of our public resources.
Public Safety- maintaining radio communications for public safety agencies and schools during an extended outage is of critical importance to ensuring public safety.
CONTACT
Sue Hennike, Deputy CAO