REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL August 17, 2020 FROM: Council President Arias SUBJECT: ..Title Approve CARES Act expenditure and contracts for testing and tracing: 1. ***RESOLUTION - Adopting the 12th Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2020-159 to appropriate $3,818,100 in CARES Act Funds for testing and tracing programs (Requires 5 affirmative votes)(Subject to Mayor's Veto) 2. Approve agreement with Fresno Building Healthy Communities 3. Approve agreement with Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission 4. Approve agreement with North Fresno Primary Care, Inc. (Bautista Medical Group) ..Body RECOMMENDATION It is recommended Council appropriate CARES Act funding and approve the agreements with community partners to provide contact tracing, prevention education, and quarantine support. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY COVID-19 is responsible for a worldwide pandemic with devastating impacts for communities across the globe. In the City of Fresno, underserved and vulnerable populations have been particularly impacted by COVID-19. Fresno Building Health Communities (BHC) and Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (EOC) are proposing programs of education, testing and tracing, and quarantine support targeted at the City's most vulnerable and underserved communities. BACKGROUND The CARES Act (42 U.S.C. Section 801(d)) requires eligible reimbursement expenditures (1) are necessary due to the COVID-19 public health crisis; (2) are not accounted for in the City's budget as of March 27, 2020; and (3) be expended between March 1 and December 30, 2020. The Department of the Treasury understands the term 'necessary' broadly to mean the expenditure is reasonably necessary for its intended use in the reasonable judgment of the government officials responsible for spending Fund payments. (US Dept. of Treasury, Coronavirus Relief Fund Guidance (April 30, 2020) p.1.) Expenditures must be used for actions taken to respond to the public health emergency. These may include expenditures incurred to allow the government to respond directly to the emergency, such as by addressing medical or public health needs, as well as expenditures incurred to respond to second-order effects of the emergency, such as by providing economic support to those suffering from employment or business interruptions due to COVID-19 related business closures. (US Dept. of Treasury, Coronavirus Relief Fund Guidance (April 30, 2020) p. 1.) BHC and EOC are proposing an Immigrant Refugee Coalition and an Equity Project, focused on reaching vulnerable and underserved populations in the City. The programs will focus on prevention education to target audiences, providing culturally specific prevention materials targeted to include the cultural, linguistic and literary needs of residents. Programs will also provide outreach, promotion, and support for testing events, including targeting specialized populations such as uninsured and essential workers. Funds will also be used for contact tracing and case management, as well as quarantine support by assessing needs of COVID-positive community members and their families, and developing a process for referrals to complementary resources and services. More detailed program information can be found in the Scope of Work attached to each contract. Bautista Medical Group proposes to screen 10,000 Fresno residents over roughly six weeks via rapid testing. The program would also include a comprehensive marketing plan in both English and Spanish, as well as overhead costs such as PPE and sanitation, and staffing. ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS This is not a project for the purpose of CEQA. LOCAL PREFERENCE Not applicable. FISCAL IMPACT This item will not impact the General Fund. All programs will be funded with CARES Act funds. Attachments: AAR (1) Contracts (2)