County Administrative Oce

Leonard X. Hernandez

Chief Executive Officer

Luther Snoke

Chief Operating Officer

San Bernardino County 

RECOVERY PLAN

State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

2021 REPORT

385 North Arrowhead Avenue, San Bernardino, California 92415-0120 | 909.387.5423 | Fax: 909.387.9430

SBCounty.gov
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report

—2—

CONTENTS

GENERAL OVERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

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

Promoting Equitable Outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Community Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Labor Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Use of Evidence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

PROJECT INVENTORY...

San Bernardino County 

2021 RECOVERY PLAN

County Administrative Oce
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report

—3—

GENERAL OVERVIEW

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act 

(ARPA) was signed into law and established the $350 

billion Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery 

Fund to distribute much needed resources to state and 

local governments throughout the nation. Of that

amount, San Bernardino County has been allocated 

$423.5 million, creating an unprecedented opportunity

to not only rebuild from the pandemic, but to immediately 

invest in transformative public service projects that 

would otherwise remain far into the future

On June 8, 2021 (amended on August 24, 2021), the 

County’s Board of Supervisors took its initial step 

towards investing the funds by passing the San 

Bernardino County Local Fiscal Recovery Fund 

Spending Plan. This plan allocated the County’s full 

$423.5 million through December 31, 2024 into three

distinct spending categories a nd numerous 

subcategories that aligned with the overarching goal 

of rebuilding stronger communities in response to 

the pandemic, as follows:

1. Pandemic Response ($138.5 million ):

The rebuilding of San Bernardino County out of the 

COVID-19 pandemic must start with the County 

continuing to provide the core function of basic public 

health services to our residents. At the time of this

writing, the contagious Delta variant is becoming 

prevalent in all parts of the country and San 

Bernardino County has a large segment of its eligible 

population (43.6%) that is currently unvaccinate

In recognition of this concerning development, the 

Board has allocated $88.5 million towards Testing,

Vaccinations, and County departmental response, 

which will be used in part to fund innovative ways 

to engage those residents of the County who are 

hesitant about receiving a vaccine

Because the pandemic has had a disproportionate 

impact on our homeless population, the County 

is leveraging another $50 million in ARPA funds 

to maximize federal and state homelessness and 

housing resources. To address this complex and

growing crisis and capitalize on the significant 

level of resources that have become available, the 

County has established a Community Revitalization 

unit that will coordinate and oversee the County’s 

ARPA funded initiatives to end homelessness

2. Economic Recovery ($175.0 million ):

For San Bernardino County, the impact of 

COVID-19 has mirrored that of the nation and 

California as a whole. Sectors using lower paid

marginally educated workers, including travel, 

amusement, restaurants, retail and consumer 

services, were hit particularly hard. This disparate

outcome has highlighted one of the fundamental 

and continued challenges facing San Bernardino 

County as it relates to its economic recovery—the 

need for a highly educated workforce

Although the educational attainment of the County’s 

residents is a multi-faceted challenge requiring 

solutions from a wide array of stakeholders, the 

County’s Board of Supervisors has decided to 

capitalize on the opportunity to use ARPA funds 

to provide families with much needed broadband 

infrastructure, which will help ensure better access 

to educational programs and services

The Treasury’s Interim Final Rule also allows for 

“funds to be used for investments in water and 

sewer infrastructure needs,...recogniz[ing] the 

critical role that clean drinking water and services 

for the collection and treatment of wastewater 
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report

—4—

and storm water play in protecting public health” 

(see Interim Final Rule, p. 17 of 39). For the County

clean water projects also represent a base requirement 

for areas to achieve future economic growth. In

accordance with ARPA requirements, the County 

is partially funding a water project in the City of 

Chino (up to $20 million). The County is in the

process of implementing an Interim Remedial Action 

Plan for groundwater contaminated by volatile 

organic compounds (VOCs) proximate to its Countyoperated Chino Airport. This remedial plan will

reduce toxicity, mobility, and volume in contaminated 

groundwater, and is most likely to prevent future 

impacts to downgradient and off-site groundwater 

resources.

3. Government Operations ($110.0 million): 

As the primary local government response to the 

COVID-19 pandemic, the County has learned the 

importance of developing the most efficient and 

effective programs and services for its residents

It also recognizes the integral role the County 

Board members play in understanding and 

advocating for the needs of their particular 

residents. As a result, ARPA resources have been

allocated for Strategic Board Projects ($35 million), 

County System Improvements ($34 million), After 

Action Planning ($20 million), Strategic Business 

Partnerships ($10 million), and administrative 

costs ($11 million). For further detail on these

important allocations, see the “Use of Funds” 

section.

CONCLUSION

To maximize the effective use of its ARPA funds for 

residents, the County plans to consult numerous 

community stakeholder groups as projects and 

programs are developed. The County will use its

well-established Vision Element Groups, which consist 

of subject area experts and community representatives, 

to fully vet the use of the County’s ARPA funds. There

will be a particular focus on ensuring the equitable 

allocation of funds to benefit residents who have 

been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic

Through its declaration of racism as a public health 

crisis the County has recognized that some people 

in our community enter life well behind – or ahead 

of – the “starting line” due to existing societal 

structure rather than individual actions. As a result,

funds will be used on projects and programs that 

assist the County’s most vulnerable populations

Funds will also be strategically utilized to gain 

maximum impact by creating evidence-based 

evaluations to determine the efficacy of programs.

With proper strategic planning and implementation, 

it is believed that the County’s Local Fiscal Recovery 

Fund Spending Plan will help our communities emerge 

from this global pandemic stronger than ever. We

believe this opportunity will help to achieve our 

Countywide Vision of a county that capitalizes on 

the diversity of its people to create a vibrant economy 

with high-quality education and community health 

that can be a home for anyone seeking a sense of 

community and the best life has to offer
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report

—5—

USES OF FUNDS

On June 8, 2021 (amended on August 24, 2021), the County’s Board of Supervisors took its initial step 

towards investing the funds by passing the San Bernardino County Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Spending 

Plan. This plan allocated the County’s full $423.5 million through December 31, 2024 into three distinct

spending categories and numerous subcategories that aligned with the overarching goal of rebuilding 

stronger communities in response to the pandemic, as follows:

American Rescue Plan Act: Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Spending Plan ($423.5 million)

YEAR 1: 

$160 MILLION

Pandemic Response: 

$80 Million

• $20.0M Homeless Services 

& Housing

• $60.0M Testing, Vaccines, 

and Department Response

Economic Recovery: 

$60 Million 

• $15.0M Economic 

Development Strategy

• $45.0M Key Strategic 

Infrastructure 

Improvements

o Broadband

o Water/Sewer

Government Ops: 

$20 Million

• $17.0M County System 

Improvement

o Pandemic Based Tech

o Innovation/Efficiency

o Service Delivery 

Enhancements

• $3.0M Administration

YEAR 2: 

$160 MILLION

Pandemic Response:

$40 Million

• $20.0M Homeless Services 

& Housing

• $20.0M Testing, Vaccines, 

and Department Response

Economic Recovery:

$80 Million

• $5.0M Economic 

Development Strategy

• $75.0M Key Strategic 

Infrastructure 

Improvements

o Broadband

o Water/Sewer

o Other Pandemic 

Response Infrastructure 

Needs

Government Ops:

$40 Million

• $3.0M County System 

Improvements

o Digital Transformation 

Hub

• $20.0M Strategic Board 

Projects

• $10.0M Strategic Business 

Partnerships

• $4.0M “After Action” 

Planning Improvements

• $3.0M Administration

YEAR 3 

$75 MILLION

Pandemic Response:

$10 Million

• $5.0M Homeless Services 

& Housing

• $5.0M Testing, Vaccines, 

and Department Response

Economic Recovery:

$25 Million

• $25.0M Key Strategic 

Infrastructure 

Improvements

o Broadband

o Water/Sewer

o Other Pandemic 

Response Infrastructure 

Needs

Government Ops:

$40 Million

• $14.0M County System 

Improvements

• $13.0M “After Action” 

Planning Improvements

• $10.0M Strategic Board 

Projects

• $3.0M Administration

YEAR 4 (6 months): 

$28.5 MILLION

Pandemic Response:

$8.5 Million

• $5.0M Homeless Services 

& Housing

• $3.5M Testing, Vaccines, & 

Department Response

Economic Recovery:

$10 Million

• $10.0M Key Strategic 

Infrastructure 

Improvements

o Broadband

o Water/Sewer

Government Ops:

$10 Million

• $3.0M “After Action” 

Planning Improvements

• $5.0M Strategic Board 

Projects

• $2.0M Administration
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report

—6—

1. Pandemic Response ($138.5 Million ):

Public Health (EC1) – Testing, Vaccination, and 

Direct Department Response ($88.5 million): The 

rebuilding of San Bernardino County out of the 

COVID-19 pandemic must start with the County 

continuing to provide the core function of basic 

public health services to our residents. At the time

of this writing, the contagious Delta variant is 

becoming prevalent in all parts of the country and 

San Bernardino County has a large segment of its 

eligible population (43.6%) that is currently

unvaccinated. This is especially concerning for our

County, as 51.6% of the County’s population is

categorized by the State of California as living in 

the lowest quartile of the California Healthy Places 

Index. This index segments the entire state population

based on conditions that shape health, including 

housing, transportation and education. Of the 910,731

County residents living in the lowest quartile that 

are eligible for a vaccine, 48.8% (444,640) have chosen

not to get a Covid vaccination at this time

Vaccination Progress by Quartile: San Bernardino County Community Conditions

0M

Quartile 1

51.4%

41.2%

545,289

59.2%

225,832

82,402

Quartile 2 Quartile 3 Quartile 4

43.2%

910,731

48.8%

Fully 

Vaccinated

Fully 

Vaccinated

Not Yet

Vaccinated

Not Yet

Vaccinated

Partially

Vaccinated

Partially

Vaccinated

Less Healthy More Healthy

Source: As reported by the California Department of Public Health on August 5, 2021: https://covid19.ca.gov/vaccination-progress-data/

In recognition of this concerning development, 

the Board has allocated $88.5 million towards

Testing, Vaccinations, and County departmental 

response, which will be used in part to fund 

innovative ways to engage those residents of the 

County who are hesitant about receiving a vaccine

Negative Economic Impacts (EC2) – Homeless 

Services and Housing ($50.0 million): Because the 

pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on 

our homeless population, the County is leveraging 

another $50 million in ARPA funds to maximize 

federal and state homelessness and housing resources

As of its last count of the homeless population in 

2020, the County had 3,125 homeless individuals, 

representing a 20% increase from the prior year and 

48% more than in 2018. Of that population, 3 out of

every 4 individuals live unsheltered. To address this

complex and growing crisis and capitalize on the 

significant level of resources that have become available, 

the County has established a Community Revitalization 

unit that will coordinate and oversee the County’s 

ARPA funded initiatives to end homelessness. The

County has dedicated one of its highest-level 

classifications, an Assistant Executive Officer, to focus 

exclusively on leading this new organizational unit.
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report

—7—

2. Economic Recovery ($175.0 million State and Local Recovery Fund, 

up to $211.0 million Emergency Rental Assistance Program ):

For San Bernardino County, the impact of Covid 

has mirrored that of the nation and California as 

a whole. Sectors using lower-paid marginally

educated workers, including travel, amusement, 

restaurants, retail, and consumer services, were 

hit particularly hard. This has resulted in a

situation where employment levels of lower paid 

workers have been disproportionately impacted

When compared to pre-pandemic levels from 

January 2020, nationwide employment rates 

amongst high-wage employees have grown 7.4%

while the employment rate amongst the lowest 

quartile of workers has declined by 22.2%

. This

disparate outcome has highlighted one of the 

fundamental and continued challenges facing San 

Bernardino County as it relates to its economic 

recovery—the need for a highly educated workforce

A region’s attractiveness as a place to do business is 

critical in our interconnected national economy, 

where entrepreneurs and businesses have choices 

about where to locate. The availability of business

supports, opportunities for growth, and barriers to 

doing business are all factors inf luencing these 

choices. Since businesses provide jobs, economic

growth, and entrepreneurship opportunities, a strong 

business climate and growing job base is important 

for maintaining San Bernardino County’s economic 

health and quality of life. Since 2010, the RiversideSan Bernardino Metro Area has continually improved

its business climate and was most recently ranked 

72 out of 200 nationwide metro areas in Forbes’ 2019 

ranking of Best Places for Business and Careers2

Among the components measured, Riverside-San 

Bernardino ranked highest for projected job growth 

and has seen improvement as a region in the cost of 

doing business. However, low educational attainment

continues to be a stubborn problem in which the 

area is currently ranked 183 out of 200 metro areas

200

180

160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Educational Attainment

Job Growth Projected

Cost of Doing Business

Forbes – Best Places for Business: Riverside-San Bernardino Ranking by Component

Although the educational attainment of the County’s 

residents is a multi-faceted challenge requiring 

solutions from a wide array of stakeholders, the 

County’s Board of Supervisors has decided to 

capitalize on the opportunity to use ARPA funds 

to provide families with much needed broadband 

infrastructure, which will help ensure better access 

to educational programs and services

1

 Nationwide data as of May 5, 2021. See Opportunity Insights – Economic Tracker. https://tracktherecovery.org/

2

 See Forbe’s “2019 Best Places for Business and Careers” rankings. 
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report

—8—

As part of its Spending Plan, $155.0 million

has been set aside for Strategic Infrastructure 

Improvements, i nclud i ng i nvest ments i n 

broadband, water, and sewer

Infrastructure (EC5) – Broadband Access: A recent 

survey conducted by Rutgers University in March 

and April 2021 3

 found that although there have 

been considerable improvements in broadband 

access amongst households below the federal poverty 

line, one in four impoverished families with children 

ages three to thirteen still do not have broadband

Additionally, a full 30% of families by parent 

education that have less than a high school education 

did not have broadband. Notably, for those that do

have broadband, 56% of low-income families said 

that their service was too slow

Key Finding Chart 1: Families Without Home Broadband, 2021

Among parents of three- to 13-year-olds and with incomes below the U.S. median ($75,000), total percent 

relying on mobile-only or dial-up internet, or with no internet access:

 Among all  By poverty level  By Hispanic immigrant generation  By parent education

40

20

0

Among all Below 

poverty 

level

Above 

poverty 

level

U.S.-born Less than 

high school

High school Some 

college

College 

degree

Immigrant

Source: Katz and Rideout, Learning at home While Under-Connected (Washington, DC: New America, 2021).

15% 25% 11% 26% 9% 30% 17% 7% 8%

3

 See Learning at Home While Under-Connected – Lower-Income Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic by Vikki Katz & Victoria Rideout.
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report

—9—

As of 2019, 19% of San Bernardino County residents 

over 25 years of age do not have a high school 

diploma4 compared to the national average of 11% 

without a diploma. Additionally, the County’s

current family poverty rate of 10.5% is higher

than our surrounding Southern California counties 

of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, and Riverside5

The County believes that it can achieve the greatest 

strategic benefit by investing in broadband in 

areas that fall below the required download and 

upload speeds detailed in the Treasury’s Interim 

Final Rule. Over the course of the next three years,

the County will seek to implement broadband 

infrastructure located in areas that will provide 

the greatest long-term economic value to County 

residents

Infrastructure (EC5) – Water Projects: As detailed 

in the Treasury’s Interim Final Rule, in allowing 

for “funds to be used for investments in water and 

sewer infrastructure needs, Congress recognized 

the critical role that clean drinking water and 

services for the collection and treatment of 

wastewater and storm water play in protecting public 

health.” For the County, clean water projects also

represent a base requirement for areas to achieve 

future economic growth

In accordance with ARPA requirements, the County 

is partially funding a water project in the City of 

Chino ($20 million) that complies with the 

Drinking Water State Revolving Fund’s category 

of expenditure that allows for the “development 

of eligible sources to replace contaminated sources.”

The County is in the process of implementing an 

Interim Remedial Action Plan for groundwater 

contaminated by volatile organic compounds 

(VOCs) proximate to its County-operated Chino 

Airport. VOCs are a group of chemical compounds

that are volatile at room temperature, and include 

such substances as gasoline, diesel, paints, paint 

strippers, aerosol sprays, degreasers, cleansers, 

and disinfectants. The County, in conjunction

with the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control 

Board, developed a Final Feasibility Study that 

resulted in the Interim Remedial Action Plan 

(IRAP) required to remediate the VOCs found in 

groundwater surrounding its Airport. The preferred

remedial alternative includes treatment and control 

measures to clean up the contaminated groundwater, 

including a pump and treat system and institutional 

controls. The pump and treat system is being put

in place to provide hydraulic containment of 

groundwater contamination using groundwater 

extraction wells both on-site and off-site of the 

Airport. This remedial plan will reduce toxicity,

mobility, and volume in contaminated groundwater, 

and is most likely to prevent future impacts to 

down-gradient and off-site groundwater resources

4

 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates, 2010 and 2019 (Table DP02)

5

 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates 
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report

—10—

Negative Economic Impacts (EC2) – Economic 

Development Strategy ($20.0 million): As part of 

its spending plan, the County’s Board of Supervisors 

allocated $20 million towards the development of 

strategically focused economic development 

programs. The Board prudently recognized the need

to appropriately consult with experts and strategize 

in its effort to mitigate the most direct negative 

economic consequences of the pandemic. Although

a more in-depth review is underway, current County 

data suggest that Leisure and Hospitality, Retail 

Trade, and Manufacturing were the industries most 

impacted by the pandemic

While subject to adjustments given the everchanging env ironment brought on by t he 

pandemic, this data will serve as a starting point 

to the County’s evaluation of potential economic 

development programs and services.

LEISURE & HOSPITALITY

• Payrolls decreased by 18,272 

positions from Q3-2019 to 

Q3-2020

• Accommodation & Food Services 

is part of the Leisure & 

Hospitality Sector

• 31% decrease in Direct Travel 

Spending from 2019 to 2020

Q3 – 20

(# Jobs)

59,899

1 Year 

Change (#)

-18,272

1 Year 

Change (%)

-23.4

RETAIL TRADE

• Payrolls decreased by 5,622 

positions from Q3-2019 to 

Q3-2020 (Retailers selling 

merchandise, repair and 

installation services)

• Restaurants, amusement, 

recreation, clothing and personal 

care services lost the most 

significant jobs

Q3 – 20

(# Jobs)

81,899

1 Year 

Change (#)

-5,622

1 Year 

Change (%)

-6.4

MANUFACTURING

• Payrolls decreased by 4,842 

positions from Q3-2019 to 

Q3-2020

• Plastics product and aerospace 

parts & products were the 

hardest hit subsectors

Q3 – 20

(# Jobs)

50,842

1 Year 

Change (#)

-4,842

1 Year 

Change (%)

-8.7

By the Numbers: San Bernardino County’s Top Three (3) Industries Impacted by the Pandemic

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Beacon Economics & Economics & Politics, Inc. 
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report

—11—

Other Federal Recovery Funding – Emergency Rental 

Assistance Program (up to $211 million): At the 

same time the pandemic has led to a reduction in 

jobs for lower-paid marginally educated workers, 

housing prices and rents have continued to see upward 

pressure. From 2020 to 2021, the median monthly

rent in San Bernardino for one-bedroom housing 

rose by 7.7%, from $1,113 per month to $1,19

In response to this concerning development, the 

County has implemented the San Bernardino 

County Rent Relief Partnership (SBCRRP), which 

is an emergency rental assistance program that 

will leverage more than $52 million in federal 

Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 funds 

(ERA 1) authorized last December under the 

federal year-end COVID-19 relief and omnibus 

spending package. An additional $56 million

was provided in a second round of federal funding 

authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act 

(ERA 2) to fund the SBCRRP. The SBCRRP is

available to any qualified household located in 

cities within the County’s jurisdiction, including 

unincorporated areas of the County. The cities

of San Bernardino and Fontana received a direct 

allocation from the Federal government to 

implement programs within their respective cities 

serving their city residents. The County is

utilizing the ERA 1 allocation to implement its 

direct assistance program. Thus far, the County

has received over 5,300 applications of which 

1,250 households have been approved to receive 

assistance for a total value of $17.5 million

3. Government Operations ($110.0 million): 

As the primary local government response to the 

COVID-19 pandemic, the County has learned the 

importance of developing the most efficient and 

effective programs and services for its residents. It

also recognizes the integral role the County’s Board 

of Supervisors play in understanding and advocating 

for the needs of their particular residents. As a result,

ARPA resources have been allocated in the areas of 

one or more Expenditure Categories for the following 

purposes:

Strategic Board Projects ($35 million): The Board 

of Supervisors has allocated a total of $35 million 

in ARPA funds towards a “District Specific Priorities 

Program” in recognition that each supervisorial 

district has been uniquely impacted by the pandemic

Given that needs in infrastructure and investment 

vary by region, these funds will be used at the 

direction of individual members of the Board of 

Supervisors to target projects and needs for their 

district that are within the Interim Final Rule’s 

guidelines.

County System Improvements ($34 million): The 

interim guidelines allow for funds to be used to 

improve programs that address the public health 

emergency and its negative impacts through the 

use of data analysis, targeted consumer outreach, 

improvements to data or technology infrastructure, 

and impact evaluations. It is the County’s intent

that as ARPA services and programs are developed, 

resources will be devoted specifically in these areas 

to ensure the County’s systems and processes are 

as efficient and effective as possible

After Action Planning ($20 million): After every 

large-scale emergency event, the County embarks 

on “After Action” planning sessions to find areas 

of improvement in its emergency response 

capabilities. The County has set aside resources to

be available to help address any findings that result 

from the County’s “after action” planning discussions
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report

—12—

Administration ($11 million): The County is in 

the process of developing an “ARPA Administration 

Team” to oversee all ARPA programs and ensure 

federal compliance. The County has begun

recruitment for an ARPA Program Chief that will 

provide program management and strategic 

leadership in support of the County achieving an 

equitable and swift recovery from the economic 

challenges precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic

Additionally, it has begun development of an 

“Evaluation Officer” classification, as detailed under 

the “Use of Evidence” section

Strategic Business Partnership ($10 million): The 

County recognizes the value of our small businesses 

to the county and understands the significant and 

disproportionate impact many of our small 

businesses have had because of the pandemic. The

County wishes to support our small businesses 

within the county through strategic partnerships

The County will be reaching out to our small business 

community to engage with them and have dialogue 

towards development of these partnerships with 

the intention of seeing this segment stabilize and 

prosper in the COVID environment
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report

—13—

PROMOTING EQUITABLE OUTCOMES

As a nation, 2020 marked widespread mobilization 

to advance racial justice with a call to reckon with 

both historical race-based oppression and inequity 

as well as ongoing, persistent, and structural inequities 

in place today. In June of 2020, this led the County’s

Board of Supervisors to make San Bernardino County 

the first county in California to recognize racism as 

a public health crisis, leading to the addition of Equity 

as an eleventh element to the Countywide Vision 

and the creation of a Vision Equity Element Group

The community stakeholders participating in the 

Equity Element Group have been tasked with 

determining where there may be racial disparities 

among our residents in the county, if campaigns and 

programs could be implemented to solve those issues, 

and identifying what initiatives are already underway 

within County government or in the County 

community that can be highlighted and supported

The County has released a request for proposal to 

hire a consultant to facilitate a multi-stakeholder 

process to develop equity and anti-racism priorities, 

practices and recommendations to align with the 

Countywide Vision. Upon completion, it is the intent

of the County to use the consultant, in conjunction 

with the Equity Element Group, to assist the County 

with ensuring that ARPA programs are designed 

with equity in mind. In particular, the consultant

and group will be consulted during development of 

applicable programs to ensure the following areas 

are considered:

a. Goals: A re t here pa r t icu la r historica l ly 

underserved, marginalized, or adversely affected 

groups that we intend to serve?

b. Awareness: How equal and practical is the ability 

for residents or businesses to become aware of 

the services funded by our State and Local Fiscal 

Recovery Funds?

c. Access and Distribution: Are there differences 

in levels of access to benefits and services across 

groups? Are there administrative requirements 

that result in disparities in ability to complete 

applications or meet eligibility criteria?

d. Outcomes: Are intended outcomes focused on 

closing gaps, reaching universal levels of services, 

or disaggregating progress by race, ethnicity, and 

other equity dimensions where relevant for the 

policy objective?

The County’s overall equity strategy will be developed 

to offer services and programs for businesses and 

communities that have been impacted negatively 

and/or disproportionately by the pandemic in order 

to promote meaningful equitable results.

Additionally, it is the County’s intent when developing 

programs to focus on areas, where possible, that the 

County has determined it has particular challenges 

as it relates to equity. The County annually produces

a Community Indicators Report, created in 2010 to 

support the development of the countywide vision, 

which provides the community with an annual 

assessment of how the county is faring across a range 

of indicators. For 2020, the report introduced an

“Equity Gap Score”, which provides an at-a-glance 

assessment of the scale of racial and ethnic disparities 

existing with its communities. Whenever possible,

ARPA-funded programs will be developed that seek 

to reduce inequities in areas with high equity gap 

scores (i.e. yellow, orange and red categories), a

detailed on the following page:
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report

—8—

COVID-19

COVID-19 Case Rate

COVID-19 Death Rate

EDUCATION

Academic Performance: 3rd Grade Literacy

Academic Performance: 5th Grade Math

Chronic Absenteeism

Graduation Rate

College-Going Rate

UC/CSU Eligibility

Career-Technical Pathway Completion 1.3

INCOME

Median Household Income

Family Poverty

Overall Poverty

WELLNESS

Uninsured

Prenatal Care

Overweight/Obesity

Child Welfare

SAFETY

Juvenile Arrests

TRANSPORTATION

Bicyclist / Pedestrian Injuries or Fatalities

3.9

3.7

2.7

4.6

5.2

1.4

1.8

2.5

2.3

3.1

3.2

3.6

1.1

3.6

8.7

10.0

6.3

1.0+ Increasing Inequity
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report

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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

In 2011, following 18 community meetings, nearly 

4,000 online surveys, two dozen expert roundtables 

and input from the County’s 24 cities, the Countywide 

Vision was formed. The roundtable discussions were

with experts in education, the economy, the environment, 

public safety, tourism, and community service to find 

out what they see as the County’s strengths, weaknesses, 

and potential. The County has established the following

11 element groups, consisting of various community 

stakeholders in applicable fields to help implement 

the Countywide Vision: Education, Environment, 

Equity, Housing, Image, Infrastructure, Jobs/Economy, 

Public Safety, Quality of Life, Water, and Wellness

Each of these groups have established priorities on 

what they want to accomplish and meet as needed to 

accomplish these goals. The County plans to use these

element groups to reach out to the community for 

diverse feedback as it relates to its planned usage of 

Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. A representative from

each of these element groups meet on a monthly basis

As projects and programs are developed, these 

representatives will be consulted for feedback.

LABOR PRACTICES

County AR PA project #1, the Chino Airport 

Groundwater Remediation Project, is comprised of 

a combination of one-time costs such as construction 

of piping, wells, and treatment systems (infrastructure) 

and ongoing costs such as maintenance of the 

infrastructure; water replenishment costs; and 

monitoring, consulting, and engineering services

ARPA funds will be used towards the construction 

of piping, wells, and treatment systems.

Public works contracts for the County provide 

prevailing wage to each craft, classification, or type 

of worker needed to execute the contract and complies 

with California Labor Code sections 1770, et seq

The payment of prevailing wage on all public works 

projects promotes the effective and efficient delivery 

of high-quality infrastructure projects while also 

supporting the economic recovery through strong 

employment opportunities for workers

USE OF EVIDENCE

The County is in the process of establishing an “ARPA 

Administration Team,” which is planned to include 

the addition of a position, as detailed below, to assist 

the County in creating ARPA specific program 

evaluations that will be structured to include specific 

evidence-based components

• Evaluation Officer: Under the guidance of the 

ARPA Compliance Chief, the Evaluation Officer 

will be responsible for monitoring and ensuring 

high-quality, evidence-based analysis of ARPA 

projects, and for ensuring that projects maintain 

strategic vision and that its activities result in 

the achievement of intended outputs in a cost 

effective and timely manner

The Evaluation Officer will have the following 

duties and responsibilities:

• Develop and strengthen monitoring, inspection 

and evaluation procedure;

• Monitor all project activities, expenditures and 

progress towards achieving the project output;

• Recommend further improvement of the logical 

frame work;
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report

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PROJECT INVENTORY

PROJECT #1: CHINO AIRPORT GROUNDWATER REMEDIAL ACTION PROJECT

Funding amount: $20,000,000

Project Expenditure Category: 5.13, Drinking Water: Sourc

Project Overview: The County is in the process of implementing an Interim Remedial Action Plan for 

groundwater contaminated by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) proximate to its County-operated 

Chino Airport. The preferred remedial alternative includes treatment and control measures to clean up

the contaminated groundwater, including a pump and treat system and institutional controls. The pump

and treat system is being put in place to provide hydraulic containment of groundwater contamination 

using groundwater extraction wells both on-site and off-site of the Airport. This remedial plan will reduce

toxicity, mobility, and volume in contaminated groundwater, and is most likely to prevent future impacts 

to downgradient and off-site groundwater resources

Although the project spans over several years, the current plan anticipates completion of the initial 

required construction of on and off-site wells by July 2024

• Develop monitoring and impact indicator for 

the project success;

• Monitor and evaluate overall progress on 

achievement of results;

• Monitor the sustainability of the project’s results;

• Provide feedback to the ARPA Compliance Chief 

on project strategies and activities;

• Suggest strategies to the ARPA Compliance Chief 

for improving the efficiency and effectiveness 

of the project by identifying bottlenecks in 

completing project activities and developing 

plans to minimize or eliminate such bottlenecks