For City Council Meeting [December 14, 2021]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Marcus Fuller, City Manager
FROM: Brian Park, Acting Fire Chief
Title
Request City Council to: (1) Accept the Cal OES (Governor’s Office of Emergency Services) Pass-through Grant Subaward Allocation of $400,000 for Fire Station Dormitory Improvements; (2) Adopt Resolution No. 7804 Amending the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Budget; and (3) Authorize the City Manager to Execute All Documents.
Body
BACKGROUND
On March 15, 2021, the City was notified of pending appropriations funding requests (formerly referred to as earmarks, now called Community Project Funding) from federal legislative programs. The deadline for submission was March 29, 2021. Staff reviewed the requirements for submission within the various funding bills, existing or former grant requests that met the requirements, and new department-specific projects that would meet the stated requirements. One project submitted for a state funding allocation requiring no local match was for construction of dormitory improvements at Fire Stations:
Dormitory Improvements For Modesty and Equity for Fire Stations 203 and 204
Request: $400,000
The fire service continues to face a significant gender gap. According to the National Fire Protection Association, there are 1.16 million firefighters in the United States, but only 7 percent are women. To recruit, develop and retain the best candidates including women and people of color in the fire service, departments must develop strategies that appeal to recruits and potential volunteers who do not have family ties. It’s essential that recruitment efforts reach a wider audience and different parts of the community. Station dorm configurations and lack of privacy is an identified impediment to these challenges in Rialto. The Rialto Fire Department has two fire stations built in the ’90s with an open dorm configuration separated by partition walls and curtains. A modern approach to firehouse design of the living quarters is to provide some means of privacy for fire personnel with either gender “specific,” “neutral,” or “friendly” spaces. This project would provide separation of sleeping quarters with individualized rooms for privacy in each fire station.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
The City’s grant request for state funding allocation of $400,000 through State Senator Leyva’s office was approved in the state budget. The funding allocation is being disbursed through the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES), and OES has submitted a Pass Through Grant Subaward agreement for the City’s approval and acceptance of the funding allocation. In order to accept the funding, the agreement must be executed.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The requested City Council action is not a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a Project does not include: (5) Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
The requested action is consistent with General Plan goals Policy:
5-3.1: Provide for fire personnel, equipment, and fire stations to have adequate and appropriate resources to meet the needs and serve all areas of Rialto.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed and supports this staff report, agreement and resolution.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Operating Budget Impact
Cal OES has awarded City of Rialto Fire Department $400,000. Staff recommends an increase in estimated revenues of $400,000 to Grant Account No. 205-400-5186-7514; and an appropriation of $400,000 in 205-500-5186-3001 for the Fire Station Dormitory Improvements at Station 203 and Fire Station 204.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
This report does not impact the Capital Improvement Budget.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council:
(1) Accept the Cal OES (Governor’s Office of Emergency Services) Pass-through Grant Subaward Allocation of $400,000 for Fire Station Dormitory Improvements;
(2) Adopt Resolution No. 7804 Amending the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Budget; and
(3) Authorize the City Manager to Execute All Documents