REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
September 11, 2014
FROM: JENNIFER K. CLARK, AICP, Director
Development and Resource Management Department
BY: JOHN ROBERTSON, Interim Manager
Housing and Community Development Division
SUBJECT
Title
Approve a State of California Lead Poisoning Prevention Program Agreement in the amount of $436,470 with the County of Fresno, for three years, for lead hazard assistance and outreach
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve a State of California Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) Agreement in the amount of $436,470 with the County of Fresno for three years, for lead hazard assistance and outreach.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Housing and Community Development Division is currently administering the City's Office of Healthy Homes Lead Hazard Control Grant Program (OHHLHC) funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As a complement to those efforts, the Division administered the previous CLPPP grant from 2011-2014 approved by Council on September 15, 2011. The CLPPP grant is funded through the County of Fresno's Department of Public Health. If approved as recommended funds will be used by the City, as they were in the previous CLPPP grant, to increase awareness regarding hazards of lead exposure, reducing lead exposure through housing rehabilitation and code enforcement, and increase the number of children assessed appropriately, blood tested for lead poisoning and treated in collaboration with the County. CLPPP funds are also needed as match requirements for the OHHLHC Grant.
BACKGROUND
For the 2014-2017 program years, the State has provided the County of Fresno with the new round of funding, who in turn grants some of that funding to the City to continue the partnership and services established with the previous CLPPP Grants.
The CLPPP grant's purpose is to eliminate childhood lead poisoning by identifying and caring for lead burdened children by providing a healthy, lead-safe environment. The County currently provides home visitation, environmental home inspections and nutritional assessments to families of children found to be lead-poisoned and provides telephone contacts and educational materials to families of lead-poisoned and lead exposed children. The City and the County will provide information and education to the general public, medical providers, and community based organizations about lead hazards. The City will combine these efforts with the OHHLHC grant program which currently targets lead hazard control efforts in housing where children under six years of age are at greatest risk of lead poisoning. The CLPPP funded activities to be undertaken by the City include lead assessments, lead remediation, lead clearances, outreach, education, and enforcement.
The grants will be available City-wide, and will focus on work in specific target areas. Target areas were selected based on the level of concentrated lower income households and cases of lead poisoning. Those areas include the Lowell area (93701), Downtown and east of Downtown (93702), West Fresno (93706), and a portion of South East Fresno (93727). By targeting these specific areas, the City will be able to use the Program funds to assist those with the greatest need while helping to reduce lead based paint hazards and poisoning in units where children under age six reside.
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved the agreement as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
Environmental findings are not applicable to this agreement. The lead agency is responsible for environmental findings based upon section 15367 of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines. The agreement does not require the City to act as lead agency or to conduct a California Environmental Quality Assessment.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented based on conditions of State funding.
FISCAL IMPACT
This is a State of California funding source and no match is required, the General Fund is not impacted. The funding amount of $145,490 is included in the Development and Resource Management Department's FY2015 budget. Funding for the second and third years of this three-year grant will be included in the proposed FY2016 and FY2017 budgets when they are developed. If approved, funding will be used for required match of the Division's OHHLHC program.
Attachment: EXHIBIT A