Board of Supervisors Approves Numerous Contracts for Public Services
Grants, State and Federal Funding to Cover Majority of Costs
INDEPENDENCE — Quantity and quality were on full display Tuesday as the Inyo County Board of Supervisors welcomed 12 new employees and approved 11 contracts and contract amendments to provide crucial services to the community.
Grants and federal and state funding will cover most of the costs of the services, which will benefit families, senior citizens, foster families, caregivers, homeless individuals, and at-risk youth. The new recruits, meanwhile, will be performing tasks that range from technical office work, data analysis, nursing, and peer support to heavy equipment operation, building and maintenance support, landfill gate attendance, and vehicle repair. As is tradition, they were introduced to the Board and presented their official golden trout Inyo County pins.
Following on the heels of the meet-and-greet was approval of the following:
- An amendment to the contract with California Indian Legal Services whereby CILS provides legal aid to senior citizens through the County’s Eastern Sierra Area Agency on Aging. The amendment alters the contract to include additional federal grant funding – through the Older Adults Recovery and Resilience program – to pay for the services. The contract and amendment allow the County to continue utilizing CILS’ expertise to provide seniors with representation for housing related legal needs, consumer fraud, elder abuse, and other matters.
- An agreement with the Inyo County Office of Education (ICOE) for the provision of Stage 1 Child Care Services for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 in the amount of $170,000 in state and federal funding. The contract essentially subsidizes childcare services for families enrolled in CalWORKs, with the ICOE’s Child Care Connection program assisting in finding childcare, helping develop high-quality childcare, and paying the authorized providers. This program also assists newly employed parents to keep their childcare relationships as long as they are eligible, and then move them to other funding sources when possible.
- A contract between the County and UC Davis for 30 days of on-site training for Social Services employees throughout the FY 2023-24 for a total of $118,575 in state and federal funding. This will provide for continued training related to not only technical Social Services program needs, but also employee development, management and supervision development, and project management, and will increase training opportunities for local resource families, formerly referred to as foster parents.
- A contract with the nonprofit consortium Community Service Solutions to act as the In-Home Support Services (IHSS) employer of record, negotiate with the labor union, and provide IHSS provider registry functions for FY 2023-24. State funding will cover the cost at $297,540.
- Amendment of a four-year agreement between the County and State for the California Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program which provides supplemental nutritious foods to mothers during pregnancy and infants and young children during early growth and development. The agreement provides $1,342,437 for the WIC program in federal dollars administered by the State.
- A contract with the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency for the fourth round of Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program funding in the amount of $360,701.40. Inyo County Health & Human Services is applying for and receiving the funds on behalf of the Eastern Sierra Coalition of Care (ESCoC) – a multidisciplinary group formed to address homelessness in Inyo, Mono, and Alpine counties. The ESCoC recommends using the HHAP 4 for administrative activities; services to homeless youth; and permanent supportive and service-enriched housing. The latter projects, such as Innsbruck Project Home Key in Mono County or Silver Peaks in Inyo County, were identified by the ESCoC as critical to building the affordable housing stock in the region.
- Contracts with the ICOE and Healthy Communities of Southern Inyo County for an extended day program and delinquency prevention program for FY 2023-24, respectively, using funding provided through the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act. This year’s allotment for Inyo County is $53,067, with 40 percent going to the ICOE and 60 percent to Healthy Communities. Through the contract, ICOE will provide an extended school day that includes behavioral, vocational, and social skills training for students. Healthy Communities will provide constructive activities and programs of interest to all community youth, including those “at risk,” that build and enhance self-esteem, good character, and job skills.
- An agreement for Inyo County Planning and County Counsel to provide the services of an executive officer and support staff to the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) for FY 2023-24 in the amount of $20,594.80. LAFCo includes County and City of Bishop commissioners charged with ensuring the orderly formation of local government agencies, preserving agricultural and open space lands, and discouraging urban sprawl.
- Amendments to extend the current contracts the Planning Department’s Yucca Mountain Oversight Office has with Roux Associates, Inc. and Hydrodynamics Group LLC for professional hydrological services associated with groundwater and the proposed Yucca Mountain repository. While there is currently not a lot of active interest in storing high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, keeping the two firms under contract is in the County’s best interest should licensing proceedings be revived.
OTHER ACTION
SB 1 Projects
On Tuesday the Board also approved a list of road projects for the FY 2023-24 funding cycle created through SB 1: Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. The County is required every year to send a list of road projects to the California Transportation Commission to be eligible for Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account funding. Inyo County’s allocation for next Fiscal Year is an estimated $3,961,386 – most of which County officials anticipate going toward repairing roads damaged by the winter storms and subsequent runoff. Proposed projects – which include Buttermilk Road rehabilitation, Horseshoe Meadows Road slide repair, and various grader overlays – do not need to be completed in FY 2023-24, and can be amended or continued in subsequent project proposals. The County does anticipate reimbursement for its emergency repair work from the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and California Office of Emergency Services – but the process could take years.
Hazard Reporting
Inyo County Emergency Services Manager Mikaela Torres reminded the public that its assistance is needed in locating potential flood and fire hazards this season. She advised individuals who notice areas of concern to report it at https://ready.inyocounty.us/. She said the information will then be routed to the appropriate department or agency.
Managing Risk
The Board of Supervisors received a presentation from Risk Manager Aaron Holmberg on his department’s roles and responsibilities, as well as its mission/objective: “To understand, manage, and control uncertainty, or ‘risk,’ in order to provide and encourage a safe, functional, and fiscally stable environment for our employees, our volunteers, and the community we serve. “
Referring to Risk as the “head on a swivel office,” Holmberg provided examples of how the department carries out the above objective, such as ensuring the County and its contractors have appropriate insurance coverage, conducting facilities safety audits, providing online and in-person safety training, and seeking ways to continuously improve our parks, campgrounds, and other County facilities for persons with disabilities.
The work Holmberg professed to being the most excited about is ergonomic assessments of employee workstations. He said he can spend a few minutes with an employee and identify ways to increase both comfort and introduce healthier practices, which sometimes can be as simple as moving an individual’s phone to prevent stress or strain. Holmberg said this and other employee safety measures prevent injury and illness, reduce costs, increase productivity, and improve employee retention – all of which benefit the taxpayer as well.
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(From Inyo County Board of Supervisors)
