Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Mandy Wells (Acting Director)
Department: Human Services Division: Community Partnerships
Information
Requested Action
title
A. MOTION TO AUTHORIZE County Administrator to accept funding in the amount of $916,388 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (“HRSA”) and to take all appropriate and necessary actions (including executing contractual documents subject to review for legal sufficiency by the Office of the County Attorney) to receive, appropriate, and disburse HRSA funding to Ryan White Part A (“RW”) service providers responding to coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) for People Living With HIV (“PLWH”).
ACTION: (T-11:44 AM) Approved.
VOTE: 9-0. Commissioners Bogen, Fisher, Rich and Vice-Mayor Geller voted in the affirmative telephonically.
B. MOTION TO ADOPT Resolution No. 2020-267 of the Board of County Commissioners of Broward County, Florida, waiving the grant funding provisions in Chapter 23, Parts II and VII of the Broward County Administrative Code to enable the Broward County Administrator to appropriate and disburse grant funds to the appropriate Human Services Department’s service providers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic; and providing for severability and an effective date. The County Administrator will notify the Commission of receipt of HRSA grant funds and all resulting contracts or contractual amendments within a reasonable time after execution of each applicable contract or other document.
ACTION: (T-11:44 AM) Approved.
VOTE: 9-0. Commissioners Bogen, Fisher, Rich and Vice-Mayor Geller voted in the affirmative telephonically.
C. MOTION TO ADOPT budget Resolution No. 2020-268 within the RW Grant Fund in the amount of $916,388 retroactively from April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021 to be used to support prevention, preparation, and response to COVID-19 for PLWH.
ACTION: (T-11:44 AM) Approved.
VOTE: 9-0. Commissioners Bogen, Fisher, Rich and Vice-Mayor Geller voted in the affirmative telephonically.
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Why Action is Necessary
A. and B. Provides authorization for the County Administrator to act on behalf of the County to receive, appropriate and disburse HRSA one-time funding on a timely basis in response to COVID-19 for PLWH.
C. In accordance with Section 129.06(2)(d), Florida Statutes, Commission approval is required to provide for revenue.
What Action Accomplishes
Approval of Motions A, B, and C supports and enhances the ability of Broward County’s RW program to provide related health service needs, activities, and supplies to PLWH.
Is this Action Goal Related
Yes
Previous Action Taken
None.
Summary Explanation/Background
THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS DIVISION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTIONS.
These actions support the Commission value of “approaching human services collaboratively and compassionately with special emphasis on the most vulnerable,” and the goal to “effectively advocate for and acquire municipal, state and federal financial support to equitably address health and human services needs of the entire community, through a truly coordinated system of care.” Funding provides additional resources to support containment of COVID-19 by providing additional support and preventative services to PLWH.
On April 10, 2020, HRSA responded to the COVID-19 declaration by appropriating one-time funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act (P.L. 116-136) to assist already-funded RW recipients to prepare for, prevent, and respond to COVID-19. This funding will support RW clients by providing related health service needs, activities, and supplies (Exhibit 3).
The County’s RW is in the process of securing input from funded-agencies related to needs and agency capacity to address COVID-19 for PLWH. Based on this information, and HRSA funding requirements, RW anticipates providing funding to eligible agencies.
The RW is authorized by the Public Health Service Act, Sections 2601-2610, and 2693 (42 USC 300ff-11 - 300ff-20, and 300ff-121), as amended by the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension (“RWTE”) Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-87).
The RWTE Act requires that funded Eligible Metropolitan Areas have a local planning body to establish service priorities and determine funding allocations for approved core medical and support services based on local needs assessment data for persons living with HIV/AIDS. To comply with federal legislation, the County established the Broward County HIV Health Services Planning Council (“HIVPC”) through Resolution No. 1990-3469 on November 27, 1990. The RW has consulted HIVPC Chairperson regarding the effects of COVID-19 and the related emerging needs of PLWH.
Grant funding provisions in Part II and Part VII of the Administrative Code provide guidance regarding a formal grant process and Commission adoption of a Resolution authorizing the allocation of funding among service providers. Waiving this requirement allows one-time HRSA funding for eligible services to be provided on a timely basis to eligible residents living with HIV and RWHAP clients.
All resulting contracts and contractual amendments with service providers will be reviewed for legal sufficiency by the Office of the County Attorney prior to execution by the County Administrator.
Source of Additional Information
Darrell Cunningham, Director, Community Partnerships Division, (954) 357-6398
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
The County's RW program is 100% funded through federal dollars from HRSA. No County funds are required. The program would be discontinued if grant funding is no longer available.