County of Stanislaus

Recovery Plan 

State and Local Fiscal Recovery 

Funds

2021 Report
County of Stanislaus 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 1

County of Stanislaus

2021 Recovery Plan

Table of Contents

General Overview........................................................................................................................2

Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................2

Uses of Funds ...........................................................................................................................3

Promoting Equitable Outcomes.................................................................................................6

Community Engagement...........................................................................................................6

Labor Practices .........................................................................................................................6

Use of Evidence ........................................................................................................................6

Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category ............................................................................7

Project Inventory.........................................................................................................................9

Example Project .......................................................................................................................9

Additional Projects.....................................................................................................................9

Ineligible Activities: Tax Offset Provision ...............................................................................9
County of Stanislaus 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 2

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Stanislaus County is an agricultural community located in Central California. With an estimated 

555,968 people, as of 2021, calling Stanislaus County home, the community reflects a region rich 

in diversity with a strong sense of community. The County is a global center for agribusiness, 

positioned by its mild Mediterranean climate, rich soils, and progressive farming practices. The 

County will benefit greatly from the ARPA State and Local Recovery funds. Areas of focus will 

be on infrastructure improvements, increasing access to housing opportunities, economic 

development by attracting employers to provide high quality employment opportunities for county 

inhabitants, access to services for individuals and families impacted by COVID-19, and additional 

response services as needed to continuously respond to the impacts of the pandemic. 

Executive Summary 

The County of Stanislaus will be utilizing the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) in 

the following four priorities: Supporting Families/Individuals in Need, Community Infrastructure, 

Community Development Corporation, and Economic Growth and Job Creation. 

Under Supporting Families/Individuals in Need, the County plans on providing $5 million to a 

county department to administer contracts with Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and 

Family Resource Centers (FRCs) to assist the County with COVID pandemic response and 

recovery. The County hopes to provide navigation services and capacity-building to facilitate 

access to service programs, benefits, and aids to assist individuals and families impacted by

COVID-19. 

Approximately $50 million is allocated for Community Infrastructure in addressing infrastructure 

deficiencies within unincorporated neighborhoods of the County. The main goals are to install 

sewer mainlines, potable water systems, and storm drainage. 

Another $5 million will be allocated to support the establishment of Community Development 

Corporations. The core initiatives to this priority are to connect low-income families to financial 

products to purchase affordable homes and to provide business services to underserved 

communities. 

The County will allot $30 million for efforts that spur Economic Growth and Job Creation. This will

support future investments in economic development activities focused on creating quality job 

opportunities. 

The remaining funds of approximately $18 million will provide for expansion in any of the areas 

mentioned above as evidence and results show where the greatest needs lie, positive outcomes 

are demonstrated and/or to support other emerging local COVID-19 pandemic response/recovery 

needs. 
County of Stanislaus 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 3

Uses of Funds

Public Health:

The County will use SLFRF funds to provide an unprecedented opportunity to make a difference 

in the community and to build-up supports for county residents needing safety net services. Social 

inequities prevented some residents from taking advantage of programs/services in existence 

pre-COVID, and the pandemic has exacerbated difficulties for individuals/families already 

struggling with self-sufficiency and meeting basic life needs. Given the multitude of safety net 

programs in place in the County, augmented through several Federal/State funding streams to 

ensure adequate food, shelter and access to health services to prevent COVID spread and aid 

recovery, staff have identified a need to assist individuals and families to access the array of 

funding/services, rather than funding additional programs/supports. In consultation with the 

department heads from the priority area of Supporting Community Health, approximately $5 

million will be provided to the County Department Community Services Agency (CSA) to 

administer contracts with Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and Family Resource Centers 

(FRCs) building on the current year model in which service scope is designed to assist the County 

with the CRF-funded COVID pandemic response.

The contracted services, targeted to be effective after July 1, 2021 through December 31, 2024, 

will shift to navigation and/or capacity-building in these CBOs to provide stability in the community 

safety net. Multi-year contracts will allow the FRCs to staff this work and to focus on system 

improvement and outcomes. The following are the types of activities that will be encouraged 

through the scope of work: 

$5 Million

$50 Million

$5 Million

$30 Million

Supporting Families/Individuals in Need Community Infrastructure

Community Development Corporation Economic Growth/Job Creation

Stanislaus County ARPA SLFRF Spending Plan by Category
County of Stanislaus 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 4

• Provide navigation services to remove barriers preventing individuals and families from 

accessing COVID-19 recovery support services; 

• Provide community case management services: facilitate access to services, benefits and 

programs to aid in COVID recovery and broadly for improved health and well-being; 

• Provide general Community Health information, resource and referral services to assist 

individuals and families in accessing health, mental health, substance abuse services, social 

services, public assistance services, benefits and programs and COVID relief services, benefits 

and programs; 

Negative Economic Impacts:

Cities and counties have entered an unprecedented era of funding opportunities in response to 

COVID-19. In addition to the funding outlined in this report, staff will consider several new 

programs in the next 6-12 months specifically designed to support economic recovery from 

COVID-19. Most of these new funding opportunities are with Federal and State programs and 

continue to emerge daily. In order to maximize our receipt of public and private investment 

opportunities, Stanislaus County and all cities must work quickly to align our community around 

a shared understanding and commitment to specific economic development strategies to facilitate 

our short-term and long-term economic health in Stanislaus County. Staff are recommending up 

to $30 million in ARPA funding to support future investments in economic development activities 

focused on the creation of quality job opportunities in our community. In order to identify and 

prioritize potential economic development strategies, staff recommend support for a consulting 

engagement to bring together a broad consortium of public and private stakeholders to review 

existing conditions in Stanislaus County, advise on best practices in high-performing communities 

and develop a comprehensive plan with specific initiatives designed for the community. There are 

multiple examples of similar efforts in other communities which have proven successful in 

attracting and aligning funding for economic development activities. 

Additional federal funds received to support the pandemic response include funding the County 

was allocated $12.7 million of Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) under the 

American Rescue Plan Act. The ERAP funding will assist households that are unable to pay rent 

and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities:

In 2018, the Stanislaus Community Foundation contracted with LOCUS Impacting Investing to 

review workforce, wage and business data, and to better understand the economic ecosystem of 

Stanislaus County. The study yielded several findings including the lack of two unique 

organizations from our local landscape – Community Development Corporations (CDC) and 

Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). The need for these two types of service 

providers in the community has become even more necessary as the community faces the 

negative economic impacts of COVID-19: 

• CDCs are 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, created to support and revitalize communities, 

especially those that are impoverished or struggling. CDCs often deal with the development of 

affordable housing and a wide range of community services, such as education, job training, 

healthcare, commercial development, and other social programs. 
County of Stanislaus 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 5

• CFDIs are private financial institutions dedicated to delivering responsible and affordable lending 

to low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged people and communities to help them join 

the economic mainstream. By financing community businesses, including small businesses, 

microenterprises, nonprofit organizations, commercial real estate, and affordable housing, CDFIs 

spark job growth and retention in hard-to-serve markets. 

These two service entities will assist with:

• Pathways to Homeownership – collaborate with local housing partners to facilitate the 

development of innovative and cost-effective housing projects; act as a convener and 

“gatekeeper” in advocacy of unique pathways to homeownership across sectors; partner with 

CDFIs and other financial institutions to create financial products and services; connect lowincome families to capital and financial products to purchase affordable homes and accumulate 

wealth; provide technical and administrative support. 

• Economic & Resource Development - provide business services to underserved communities 

(consulting services and access to capital); micro-enterprise development (support and invest in 

low to moderate income entrepreneurialism as a pathway to self-sufficiency). 

Water and Sewer Infrastructure:

Stanislaus County has been working for several years to address infrastructure deficiencies within 

unincorporated developed neighborhoods of the County. On August 23, 2011, the Stanislaus 

County Board of Supervisors took several actions intended to guide infrastructure improvements 

and support the annexation of unincorporated pocket areas to incorporated cities. For residential 

neighborhood infrastructure projects utilizing redevelopment and community development grant 

funds, the Board action placed priority on those with public health and safety needs. The 

installation of sewer mainlines and potable water systems would be the first priority. Storm 

drainage would be considered a second priority in areas subject to persistent standing water 

problems. Further, the Board adopted a resolution supporting the annexation of unincorporated 

county residential pockets within adopted city spheres of influence. The greatest impediment to 

such annexations is providing municipal infrastructure (curbs, gutter, sidewalks, streets, sewer, 

storm drain, lighting, etc.) consistent with city standards. Such infrastructure improvements are 

costly and without an adequate funding source. In the past, Stanislaus County has utilized a 

variety of sources of funds (California redevelopment funding, community development block 

grant funding, highway user tax, federal/state grants) to advance work in this area slowly. In a 

subsequent action, the Board on March 28, 2017 prioritized Community Development Block Grant 

Funds to low-income neighborhoods in the unincorporated area of Stanislaus County for sewer 

infrastructure improvements. 

In 2019, Stanislaus County began to develop cost estimates for public improvements consistent 

with city standards and to prepare an expanded analysis of key criteria in order to prioritize urban 

pockets for annexation. The analysis evaluated 41 individual pocket areas. The urban pockets 

are located in all 5 Supervisorial Districts but predominantly around Modesto, Turlock, Ceres and 

Riverbank. A preliminary analysis revealed a total of 7,641 total parcels with infrastructure needs 

in the 41 pocket areas examined. Further, $453 million was the estimated cost associated with 

needed infrastructure improvements in these pocket areas. In 2020, a companion analysis was 

conducted of 13 County Communities: Cowan, Crows Landing, Del Rio, Denair, East Oakdale, 

Grayson, Hickman, Keyes, Knights Ferry, Monterey Park, Salida, Valley Home, and Westley. A 

preliminary analysis revealed a total of 9,453 total parcels with infrastructure needs in the 13 
County of Stanislaus 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 6

County Communities. Further, $178 million was the estimated cost associated with needed 

infrastructure improvements in the County Communities. ARPA funds provide a unique 

opportunity for Stanislaus County to begin making a “dent” strategically on the infrastructure 

needs in its urban pockets.

Promoting equitable outcomes 

The ARPA funded initiatives are still under development and will look to incorporate involvement 

from County Departments and partner community organizations to deliver services and execute 

plans that promote equity and accessibility for all county inhabitants. Stanislaus County will build 

upon lessons learned through the many evidence-based practice programs operated throughout 

the health and human service agencies, as well as robust community partner support providing 

needs assessments, community health metrics, COVID survey impacts, non-profit support 

research and data/demographic trends identifying areas/populations in greatest need.

Community Engagement 

Spending plans proposed to be funded with ARPA-SLFRF are first brought to Public Meetings 

with the County’s Governing Body, the County Board of Supervisors, for public awareness and 

Board of Supervisors approval. These reports to the Board of Supervisors are agendized and 

published for the public to see and inspect 72 hours before the public meeting is held. Members 

of the public are invited to bring forward comments and attend the meetings in person, or to view 

the meetings in televised form. In addition, the meetings accept correspondence on this and any 

other issue of public interest and discloses receipt of correspondence in the meeting agenda and

in the Board of Supervisor’s public meetings. This process will continue as future plans and 

updates to approved plans are brought back to subsequent Board of Supervisor’s public 

meetings.

Further, each of the identified funded strategies will incorporate community and partner input to 

ensure service delivery models are informed by and targeted to areas of greatest need, and/or to 

remove/reduce barriers to individual/family accessibility.

Labor Practices 

Community Infrastructure – Urban Pockets/County Communities

The County intends to use SLFRF funds to help address infrastructure needs in its urban pockets 

and unincorporated areas. It will work with City and other partners (e.g., school districts, 

community services districts) to collaborate and build on prior/current efforts in this area. County 

staff is working on developing a draft framework for prioritization recognizing that the Board of 

Supervisors has previously established priority for the use of former redevelopment and 

community development block grant funds. A draft framework will be presented to the Board for 

formal consideration and then a robust community outreach effort will be initiated to solicit input 

from community residents. Once a framework is approved by the Board, and projects identified, 

County staff will follow the required formal public bidding and procurement policies to ensure 

quality infrastructure is delivered using licensed contractors experienced with public projects. 

Use of Evidence 

Projects associated with improving the infrastructure systems in urban pockets and 

unincorporated areas are still in early development. Nonetheless, the prioritization framework 
County of Stanislaus 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 7

being developed will consider the “use of evidence” as detailed in the Reporting Guidance. The 

County has assessed the condition of the infrastructure in these targeted areas to better 

determine the level of work required. 

Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category

No ARPA SLFRF dollars have been expended yet so this section is left blank.

Category Cumulative

expenditures to 

date ($)

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan

1 Expenditure Category: Public Health

1.1 COVID-19 Vaccination

1.2 COVID-19 Testing

1.3 COVID-19 Contact Tracing

1.4 Prevention in Congregate Settings (Nursing 

Homes, Prisons/Jails, Dense Work Sites, 

Schools, etc.)

1.5 Personal Protective Equipment

1.6 Medical Expenses (including Alternative Care 

Facilities)

1.7 Capital Investments or Physical Plant Changes 

to Public Facilities that respond to the COVID19 public health emergency

1.8 Other COVID-19 Public Health Expenses 

(including Communications, Enforcement, 

Isolation/Quarantine)

1.9 Payroll Costs for Public Health, Safety, and 

Other Public Sector Staff Responding to 

COVID-19

1.10 Mental Health Services

1.11 Substance Use Services

1.12 Other Public Health Services

2 Expenditure Category: Negative Economic 

Impacts

2.1 Household Assistance: Food Programs 

2.2 Household Assistance: Rent, Mortgage, and 

Utility Aid 

2.3 Household Assistance: Cash Transfers 

2.4 Household Assistance: Internet Access 

Programs

2.5 Household Assistance: Eviction Prevention

2.6 Unemployment Benefits or Cash Assistance to 

Unemployed Workers

2.7 Job Training Assistance (e.g., Sectoral jobtraining, Subsidized Employment, Employment 

Supports or Incentives)

2.8 Contributions to UI Trust Funds*
County of Stanislaus 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 8

Category Cumulative

expenditures to 

date ($)

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan

2.9 Small Business Economic Assistance (General)

2.10 Aid to nonprofit organizations

2.11 Aid to Tourism, Travel, or Hospitality

2.12 Aid to Other Impacted Industries

2.13 Other Economic Support 

2.14 Rehiring Public Sector Staff

3 Expenditure Category: Services to 

Disproportionately Impacted Communities

3.1 Education Assistance: Early Learning 

3.2 Education Assistance: Aid to High-Poverty 

Districts

3.3 Education Assistance: Academic Services 

3.4 Education Assistance: Social, Emotional, and 

Mental Health Services 

3.5 Education Assistance: Other 

3.6 Healthy Childhood Environments: Child Care 

3.7 Healthy Childhood Environments: Home Visiting 

3.8 Healthy Childhood Environments: Services to 

Foster Youth or Families Involved in Child 

Welfare System 

3.9. Healthy Childhood Environments: Other 

3.10 Housing Support: Affordable Housing 

3.11 Housing Support: Services for Unhoused 

persons 

3.12 Housing Support: Other Housing Assistance 

3.13 Social Determinants of Health: Other 

3.14 Social Determinants of Health: Community 

Health Workers or Benefits Navigators 

3.15 Social Determinants of Health: Lead 

Remediation

3.16 Social Determinants of Health: Community 

Violence Interventions 

4 Expenditure Category: Premium Pay

4.1 Public Sector Employees

4.2 Private Sector: Grants to other employers 

5 Expenditure Category: Infrastructure

5.1 Clean Water: Centralized wastewater treatment

5.2 Clean Water: Centralized wastewater collection 

and conveyance

5.3 Clean Water: Decentralized wastewater

5.4 Clean Water: Combined sewer overflows

5.5 Clean Water: Other sewer infrastructure
County of Stanislaus 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 9

Category Cumulative

expenditures to 

date ($)

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan

5.6 Clean Water: Stormwater

5.7 Clean Water: Energy conservation

5.8 Clean Water: Water conservation

5.9 Clean Water: Nonpoint source 

5.10 Drinking water: Treatment

5.11 Drinking water: Transmission & distribution

5.12 Drinking water: Transmission & distribution: 

lead remediation

5.13 Drinking water: Source

5.14 Drinking water: Storage 

5.15 Drinking water: Other water infrastructure

5.16 Broadband: “Last Mile” projects

5.17 Broadband: Other projects

6 Expenditure Category: Revenue Replacement

6.1 Provision of Government Services

7 Administrative and Other

7.1 Administrative Expenses 

7.2 Evaluation and data analysis 

7.3 Transfers to Other Units of Government

7.4 Transfers to Nonentitlement Units 

(States and Territories only)

Project Inventory

No Projects are yet implemented so this section is left blank

Additional Projects 

Project [Identification Number]: [Project Name]

Funding amount: [Funding amount]

Project Expenditure Category: [Category number, Category Name]

Performance Report

No Projects are yet implemented so this section is left blank

Ineligible Activities: Tax Offset Provision (States and territories only)

 Not Applicable