DEPARTMENT: City Manager’s Office
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Ana Bradshaw, COVID-19 Financial and Performance Liaison
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Ratification of COVID-19 Emergency Contracts and Purchases
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes the ratification of emergency contracts and purchases related to the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as implantation of the Recovery and Resiliency Plan.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The City of San Antonio began responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic in early February when several Americans evacuated from Wuhan City, China arrived at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. Since the City and the State have issued several emergency orders aimed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
With the realization that the COVID-19 pandemic would have major impacts on health, the economy, individual households, and the fiscal standing of state and local governments, Congress quickly enacted four laws aimed at mitigating the worst of the financial consequences, the most significant being the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act on March 27, 2020. To date, the City of San Antonio has received over $397.9 million from the Federal government with the largest funding source from the U.S. Treasury’s Coronavirus Relief Fund of $270 million.
The CARES Act requires that the payments from the Coronavirus Relief Fund only be used to cover expenses that-
1. are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19);
2. were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of March 27, 2020 (the date of enactment of the CARES Act) for the State or government; and
3. were incurred during the period that begins on March 1, 2020 and ends on December 30, 2020.
On June 4, the City Council approved a $190.9 million Recovery and Resiliency Plan to aimed help San Antonio, workers, and businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan was developed around the five Guiding Principles of: 1) Public Health and Safety; 2) Equity; 3) Braided Funding; 4) Community Resiliency; and 5) Well-being.
The work was comprised of four pillars: Workforce Development, Housing Security, Small Business Support, and Digital Inclusion. Each pillar was comprised of multiple initiatives with identified budgets for each initiative. With that action, the City Manager was authorized to negotiate and execute any and all necessary agreements, applications, assurances, certifications, contracts and other documents and instruments to provide public assistance from funds available under the Plans, as may be amended, on eligible expenses. Attachment I provides a listing of contracts totaling $103.5 million executed in support of the implementation of the Recovery and Resiliency Plan.
With the Mid-Year Budget Adjustment, also on June 4, 2020, City Council authorized the ratification of $10.7 million in Emergency Contracts and Purchases to address the response and recovery due to the impact of COVID-19 within the community. These purchases included: Personal Protective Equipment, Hand Sanitizer and other disinfecting products, testing and lab services, patient lodging, medical equipment, custodial services and vehicles.
In addition, on September 17, 2020 City Council authorized the ratification of $2.4 million in Emergency Contracts and Purchases to address the continuing response and recovery due to the impact of COVID-19 within the community. These purchases included: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Contactless Ticketing Entry Gate Turnstiles, Touchless Faucets & Toilet Retrofits, Ultraviolet Disinfection Robots, Electronic Appointment Scheduling System and other equipment.
Since October 1, 2020, the City has procured an additional $21.1 million in emergency contracts and purchases which require ratification. These purchases include: testing services, public awareness campaign services, plexiglass shields, temperature scanners, and lab equipment.
ISSUE:
The item will authorize the ratification of grant awards, emergency contracts and purchases related to the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as implantation of the Recovery and Resiliency Plan. It will also delegate authority to City Manager to expend COVID related funding as necessary to meet any required guidelines.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should this item not be approved, the City would need to ratify current emergency contracts and purchases related to the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as implantation of the Recovery and Resiliency Plan at a later date or risk non-compliance with guidelines set forth by the various with federal funding sources including the Coronavirus Relief Fund.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This action does not increase budgeted expenditures within the FY 2021 Budget beyond what has been planned and is necessary to ensure execution of FY 2020 commitments. This ordinance will also authorize the ratification of COVID-19 related Emergency Purchases in the amount of $21.1 million.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the ratification of these emergency contracts and purchases related to the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as implantation of the Recovery and Resiliency Plan.