Fresno County supervisors float new COVID-19 spending plans for vulnerable residents
Fresno County supervisors on Tuesday approved $5 million to boost COVID-19 testing for county jail inmates.
Additionally, Supervisor Brian Pacheco floated two proposals for programs aimed at helping the county’s most vulnerable residents.
It was the board’s first meeting since July 7, and the latest in which activists and elected leaders urged the Board of Supervisors to focus spending coronavirus-relief funding on Fresno County’s most vulnerable.
Tuesday appeared to mark a positive change in tone between the two sides, in the wake of the new funding proposals. Before the meeting, a group of activists and officials gathered outside the county building to express their support for more funding for vulnerable communities.
Advocates who spoke said, however, they will continue their push.
‘Marathon, not a sprint’
Distributing the nearly $100 million in CARES Act funds has been viewed as a “marathon, not a sprint” process, according to supervisors like Pacheco. That includes spending cautiously, they say, to maximize the funding.
County officials are hoping new federal aid will be directed at counties, but it’s unclear if those congressional efforts will come to fruition.
At their meeting Tuesday, the board voted to approve $5 million in two new contracts that would expand testing and medical aid to the Fresno County Jail. The facility has experienced an outbreak of coronavirus during the summer. Some of the newly approved funding would provide support for up to 2023.
According to data released from the Department of Treasury in late July, Fresno County has spent funds at a faster rate than the City of Fresno. Locally, the two agencies are among those in the state who qualified for CARES aid.
As of July 23, the county has spent $26.7 million in pandemic response. The City of Fresno has spent $12.4 million, according to the Treasury.
That is likely due to the county having vast areas it oversees, as well as tight population centers like the jail in downtown Fresno.
So far, about 1 million surgical and N95 face masks have been distributed to agricultural workers. A new shipment arrived Tuesday, according to Ryan Jacobsen, Fresno County Farm Bureau CEO. Additionally, he said a farmworker and rural resident outreach program is costing the county $150,000.
Advocates and residents have repeatedly stated that some residents find it hard to get information about COVID-19 in the rural county. Similarly, health facilities overseeing disadvantaged areas have not been spared from witnessing significant impact to residents since the pandemic took off in March.
Margarita Rocha, executive director of Centro La Familia Advocacy Services, said her staff has been highly stressed and hopes the county could find ways to support what her center has provided the county.
Between March and July, walk-in services have served 5,200 families, and over 11,000 phone calls have been fielded.
She said many of the questions her staff got from residents were about applying for public benefits and housing payment assistance, utility assistance, food, and baby products.
Two new proposals
Supervisor Brian Pacheco proposed a $1 million business grant program aimed at helping local businesses owned by women and people of color. It would mirror a similar program that won $5 million from Fresno County earlier this summer.
Pacheco also proposed a new housing retention program to help residents facing eviction in connection with the economic damage caused by the pandemic.
The state is also expected to begin a new effort to house farmworkers who need to isolate by placing them in hotels.
It’s among the different ways the state is stepping in to help the hard-hit Central Valley, where coronavirus infection rates are higher than the state average.
Details on the process of the two proposals from Pacheco are still being worked out. He said the county has not historically worked on housing retention, so the county would have to look at how to legally appropriate funds from the federal coronavirus relief aid.
“It’s my hope that I can craft a good proposal that I can gain support from my colleagues,” Pacheco said. “There are many many rules and regulations that are attached to this funding.”
‘You can help us’
Understanding the needs of rural residents hasn’t been easy. Advocates have complained about communication issues with supervisors. The distancing requirements caused by COVID-19 also hindered public comment from residents.
Assemblyman Dr. Joaquin Arambula began to publicly call for meetings with supervisors on COVID-19 relief in early July.
Ray Leon, the mayor of Huron, shared with the board that his city has installed hand-washing stations around the city so farmworkers and residents could maintain hygiene required by health officials. Communities like Firebaugh have done similar things.
Ofelia Ochoa, a resident of Mendota who was the only Spanish speaker at Tuesday’s Board meeting, said she was speaking for residents who are fearful of asking for help or who are not able to leave their city.
“I want you to put your hand on your hearts,” she told the Board in Spanish. “We need your help. I know you can help us.”
This story was originally published August 4, 2020 at 4:04 PM.
