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...
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