Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: 4/5ths
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Don Horsley, District 3
Subject: Measure K: Agreement with Ayudando Latinos A Sonar to provide water to farmworkers
RECOMMENDATION:
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Measure K: Recommendation to:
A) Adopt a resolution authorizing a one-time grant to Ayudando Latinos a Sonar to provide water to farmworkers for a total amount not-to-exceed $10,000, and authorizing the County Manager, or designee, to execute the grant agreement; and
B) Authorize an Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) appropriating $10,000 from Non-Departmental Services Measure K Loans and Grants to Non-Departmental Services Miscellaneous Other Contributions to fund the grant.
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BACKGROUND:
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted low-income, rural communities of color like the San Mateo County farmworker community. Ayudando Latinos a Sonar (ALAS) is a trusted County partner that has aided this highly impacted population consistently and efficiently. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the work ALAS has done has been nothing short of life-saving. Now, farmworkers throughout San Mateo County are working without appropriate potable water sources due to economic distress from the pandemic.
ALAS volunteers and staff have distributed over 6,000 masks and their pop-up food pantry at the Half Moon Bay Library on Saturdays distributes between two and four hundred meals per week to those in need. The organization also works with the County on COVID testing and vaccinations, as well as issues around quarantining the sick.
Although potable water for farmworkers is the responsibility of farm owners, farm owners are also under financial stress due to the pandemic, and ALAS is providing temporary relief to ensure our farmworker community does not suffer.
DISCUSSION:
Weekly, on Thursdays, ALAS delivers a total of 100 gallons of water to various farms as needed along with food. Between Friday and Monday distributions, ALAS delivers 24 additional packs of 32 half-liter water bottles to the farms, along with food bags and educational outreach.
The proposed $10,000 grant would allow ALAS to continue providing 100 gallons and 24 bottle packs of water every week to farmworkers in need between March 11, 2021 and the end of the year.
ALAS anticipates that by the end of 2021, the pandemic emergency will have ended and the farmers will be once more able to supply farmworkers with safe drinking water as part of their ongoing employer responsibilities.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
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100 gallons of water/ week |
4200 gallons of water distributed by January 2022 |
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24 packs of bottled water/ week |
1008 packs of bottled water distributed by January 2022 |
FISCAL IMPACT:
This agreement has a total obligation amount not to exceed $10,000, entirely funded through Measure K reserves.