ARP Process Overview
Since the September 28, 2021 Board of Supervisors (Board) meeting in which the initial ARP Expenditure Plan was approved, staff have convened the five priority category workgroups and board liaisons to determine existing community needs, gather ideas/concepts and data, and discuss budgeting within the priority categories. The five workgroups are food security, children, youth, and families, housing and homelessness, mental health, and community parks and facilities.
Each workgroup has met at least three times with its members since the beginning of October and each board liaison group has met with staff at least once, with the exception of the Housing & Homelessness groups, as they are structured to only meet once specific projects are identified within that given jurisdiction. The full list of workgroups and board liaisons are included as Attachment A to this staff report. Staff anticipates providing the Board with a presentation on each of these topics at the November 23 Board meeting, which will include the following information:
- Process overview of the workgroups (organizations represented, data discussed, etc.)
- Workgroup strategies for using ARP funding, including subcategories and initial budgeting
- Next steps as they relate to workgroups reviewing proposals and returning to the Board with projects for the Board's consideration
Below is a matrix of the workgroup process illustrating meeting frequency since the end of September:
| Workgroup |
Meetings |
Workgroup Lead |
CAO Liaison |
| Mental Health Workgroup |
- Workgroup met October 19, November 2, November 15
- Board Liaison meeting scheduled for November 19
|
Karen Larsen |
Mark Bryan |
| Community Parks & Facilities |
- Workgroup met October 19, November 5, November 16
- Board Liaison meeting scheduled for November 18
|
Kevin Yarris |
Jill Cook |
| Child, Youth, & Families |
- Workgroup met October 21, October 28, November 1, November 8, November 15
- Board Liaison meeting held October 29, second board liaison meeting scheduled for November 17
|
Karleen Jakowski |
Jill Cook |
| Food Security |
- Workgroup met October 22, October 29, November 3, November 10
- Board Liaison meeting held November 3
|
Nolan Sullivan |
Mindi Nunes |
| Homeless & Housing |
- Workgroup met October 21, November 5, scheduled for November 19
- Board Liaison meeting held November 15
|
Ian Evans |
Mindi Nunes |
All workgroups have followed the same general process, which includes reviewing local, state, and federal data to determine gaps and needs in Yolo County that might be filled by ARP-eligible projects, determining appropriate subcategories for funding consideration under each primary priority category, and developing initial recommendations and considerations for how funding and categories would fill in the gaps and needs, where possible.
Workgroups started all discussions with the federal eligibility and Board's guiding principles (Attachment B) in mind and focused on big picture topics and concepts, rather than moving to proposal review immediately. This allowed each workgroup to develop an overall picture of what is going on in the County and to determine what services, programs, or projects are needed. Staff has worked with workgroups to maintain a similar tempo in developing recommendations for the Board's consideration to ensure a fair process for all who have applied for ARP funding and to ensure that all geographies are considered in this process.
The staff presentation will delve further into how the priority category funding may be divided into subcategories to meet pressing community needs. These subcategories have received input from the workgroups and board liaisons; however, staff desire Board direction as appropriate before proceeding to the next stage of the process. The next stage will involve the workgroups reviewing detailed proposals and determining if those proposals should advance to Board consideration, need additional refinement, or a procurement process must take place. Certain time-sensitive proposals may need to be brought back sooner and could come back as early as December 7th, however otherwise workgroups would come back after completion of this next step of the process. |