Title
Recommendation to Approve a Report on City Activities and Expenditures Related to the COVID-19 Emergency. (Human Resources 2510)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City started preparing for and responding to the COVID-19 emergency in February of 2020. On February 28, 2020 the City did a remote activation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). On March 4, 2020, Governor Newsom issued a Proclamation of the State of Emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 16, 2020 the City has physically staffed the EOC.
During this period the City has implemented multiple actions focused on three crucial areas: the health and well-being of employees, the health of the community, and measures to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19 to the community.
These actions include (but are not limited to):
• Remote and repurposing of work for many City employees in order to ensure the City continued to provide services to the community.
• An example of repurposing is that City employees have been assigned to the Food Bank and/or Mastick Senior Center.
• Implementation of employee pay provisions for employees without full-time work or unable to work
• Essential City services available on-line and by phone
• Increased focus on housekeeping and sanitation practices
• Provided personal protective equipment (PPE) and other protective measures for City employees
• Deployed 17 hand sanitizer stations across the City and continue to refill as needed
• Funded small business grants for local businesses
• Deferred payments for business licenses and transient occupancy tax
• Closed public facilities
• Changed public in-person meetings to virtual meetings
• Developed a program for rent relief for residential and commercial tenants
• Temporary prohibition on commercial and residential evictions
• Requested and deployed trailers to provide housing for up to eight unhoused residents who are non-symptomatic for COVID-19
• Distributed portable toilets and handwashing stations throughout the community
• Coordinated vehicle traffic and safety with the Food Bank program
• Continue to identify other sheltering options for employees and residents in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19
• Have been pursuing testing options for the community.
• Continue to coordinate COVID-19 response with local, state and federal officials
• Created a website dedicated to providing daily updates on COVID-19
• Published ads in the Alameda Sun, launched a new email delivery system to send weekly updates to residents, created and posted multiple videos online, and have been very active on social media to meet the community where they are at
• Planned and implemented “Slow Streets Alameda” to increase physical distancing while being physically active
• Organized Zoom (online) town halls with community members, business leaders, and staff
BACKGROUND
In February the City initiated a response to the coronavirus pandemic. The City has continued to work to ensure the well-being of its employee and the community. The City has also taken a number of actions as part of its response. Following best practices, the City has and will continue to plan and prepare to address the impacts.
DISCUSSION
The City’s response to the COVID-19 emergency has been focused on three crucial areas: the health and well-being of employees, the health and well-being of the community and measures to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19 to the community.
While this work is critical, the City has made significant expenditures as part of the response. Staff is carefully tracking all expenditures in order to apply for reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The City Manager is coming to Council for ratification of single expenditures over $75,000 and to provide a summary of current costs related to COVID-19. An accounting of these three categories of expenditures are provided below:
Health and Well-Being of Employees Serving the Public
The City has had to make a number of operational changes since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to ensure the health and well-being of City employees and to ensure the City’s ability to continue to provide services to the community. The total cost to-date of the items purchased in this category is estimated currently at $145,000. These purchases have included (not all inclusive):
• Protective equipment for Police and Fire department employees
• Ready-made meals for firefighters so they did not need to shop for groceries
• Increased housekeeping services at City facilities including fire stations
• Hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies for use in both City facilities and vehicles
• Disposable masks and cloth masks. .
• Equipment and software to support virtual meetings and remote work.
• Portable outdoor sinks for the Police Department
In addition to direct costs, the City Council previously authorized the provision all employees with three weeks of “COVID-19 leave/pay.” Employees who were unable to work due to childcare or medical issues related to COVID-19 or did not have work were able to use this time to continue to be paid. Employees who do not use this time during the COVID-19 emergency will have up to two years to use this time.
Employees remaining available to work but not assigned full-time work are on paid administrative leave. As of the May 4, 2020 pay date, employees Citywide have used an estimated 1,300 hours of paid administrative leave.
The City has also implemented the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). FFCRA provides for two weeks of emergency sick leave and 12 weeks of childcare leave. As of the May 4, 2020 pay date, approximately14 employees have used the emergency sick leave and 10 were on childcare leave. Most of these employees on childcare leave were using it intermittently while working some hours.
Health and Well-Being of the Community
The total cost to-date of the items purchased in this category is estimated currently at $20,000. These purchases have included (not all inclusive):
• Trailers to provide housing for up to eight unhoused residents who are non-symptomatic for COVID-19
• Five portable toilets and 17 handwashing sanitizer stations place throughout the community
• Public services available on-line and by phone
• Community outreach promoting the general health and well-being of the community
• Provision of five portable toilets
• Provision of 17 hand sanitizer stations.
The Trailers were provided at no cost to the City via FEMA. We followed the EOC planning purpose to set up the FEMA trailers to ensure compliance with FEMA policy., The set-up was an estimated $8,000. The monthly operating cost is $10,451. If the trailers are in use for nine months the cost would be an estimated $95,000 through December of 2020. This cost is associated with limited management of the site and does not include wrap around services. This cost is being requested to be ratified by City Council.
Measures to Mitigate the Economic Impact of COVID-19
• Rent deferral for tenants in City-owned facilities
• Deferment of payments for business licenses and transient occupancy tax (TOT)
• Small business grants for local businesses
• Implementation of an Emergency Ordinance putting a temporary moratorium on commercial and residential evictions and other renter protections.
The City Council approved expenditures of $600,000 for a small business grant program. The deferral of payments is not an expenditure and will only be a cost to the City if the current tenants do not make back rent payments or do not pay back TOT.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve a Report on City Activities.
2. Ratify the City Manager’s expenditure of $95,000 for the set-up and operation of the 4 FEMA trailers for the 9 months of 2020.
3. Request additional funding for the Economic Development small business grant assistance.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The City is tracking time specific to the COVID-19 response, as well as any purchase of supplies and materials needed to respond to the incident for future reporting and potential claims for Federal, State, or other reimbursement.
As of May 5, 2019 the City has spent or appropriated approximately $762,500 to date related to employee and community’s health, wellness, and safety for the COVID-19 Emergency.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is in conformance with the Alameda Municipal Code and all policy documents.
CLIMATE IMPACTS
There are no climate impacts associated with this resolution.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council ratification of the $95,000 expense for management of FEMA trailer program.
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager recommends ratification of the $95,000 expense. In addition, this report is to provide background on current costs spent to date.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Bronstein, Human Resource Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Nancy Bronstein, Interim Finance Director/Human Resource Director
cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager