CITY OF BAKERSFIELD

Recovery Plan

State and Local Fiscal Recovery 

Funds

2021 Report
City of Bakersfield 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 1

CITY OF BAKERSFIELD

2021 Recovery Plan

Table of Contents

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

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

Uses of Funds .........................................................................................................................2

Promoting Equitable Outcomes ...............................................................................................3

Community Engagement .........................................................................................................3

Labor Practices .......................................................................................................................3

Use of Evidence ......................................................................................................................3

Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category...........................................................................4

Project Inventory.......................................................................................................................7

Example Project .....................................................................................................................7

Additional Projects...................................................................................................................7
City of Bakersfield 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 2

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Executive Summary 

In March 2020, the City of Bakersfield declared a local emergency in response to the COVID-19 

pandemic and from that point forward the City has worked to mitigate the negative impacts of 

this significant and widespread disease on the community. The City initiated a number of 

programs during the 2020 calendar year, including: small business assistance, rental & 

mortgage assistance, educational & outreach programs, and direct services by City staff to 

those affected by the pandemic. Much of these programs and services were funded by Federal 

Coronavirus State and Local Recovery Funds through the CARES Act. While the eligibility for 

those CARES dollars sunset at the end of 2020, much of the services needed both for the direct 

impact of COVID-19, as well as the need to move forward with the important work of economic 

recovery within the City of Bakersfield has continued.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was passed by Congress and signed into law by the 

President in March 2021, in part, with the intent to continue many of the programs started by the 

CARES Act. ARPA included funding through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery 

Funds (SLFRF) of $350 billion and the City of Bakersfield received a direct allocation of $94.5 

million. The City will use these funds to continue many of the important programs and services 

that were funded by the CARES Act as well as establish new programs focused on economic 

recovery and revitalization, particularly within its disadvantaged communities.

Uses of Funds

The City of Bakersfield recognizes the important role that the SLFRF allocation will have on the 

community’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic as well addressing significant needs of its 

underserved population. The City will be establishing a number of programs intended to address 

the recovery from the pandemic, especially related to the disproportionate impact it has had on 

disadvantaged communities, as defined by HUD’s Qualified Census Tracts (QCTs). The breadth 

and depth of those programs has yet to be established but they will build off the successes the 

City has seen with programs funded via the State of California though the CARES Act and the 

Emergency Rental & Housing Assistance programs funded both through CARES and APRA. 

Beyond leveraging off of those successful programs, the City will examine the needs of the 

community in relation of Water, Sewer and broadband infrastructure and examine the use and 

applicability of premium pay for eligible City workers who have and will continue to perform 

essential work during the pandemic. The City will not be able to use SLFRF dollars to recover 

lost revenue from the pandemic based on the current formula laid out in the grant’s Interim Final 

Rules and the associated all-encompassing definition of “general revenue”.

The City has been able to direct portions of its SLFRF allocation in the current reporting period 

towards the continued funding of certain payroll costs for Public Safety Employees. In particular, 

funds are used to cover a portion of City Fire Department staffing to address the public health

emergency that continues to affect the community. The City has funded staffing based on the 

number of medical callouts for service the Fire Department had during the reporting period, 

specifically in its firefighting division, meaning administrative and other operational units are not

included. This is similar to how public safety segments of the CARES allocation were used in 

2020. This methodology is expected to continue throughout the funding period of SLFRF and is 

viewed as equitable and in line with the intent of the grant.
City of Bakersfield 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 3

Promoting equitable outcomes

The SLFRF funds approved by ARPA must be used in part to achieve or promote equitable 

outcomes or progress against equity goals. The City understands the importance of promoting 

those equitable outcomes, so as the programs and services are established, will work on how 

best to achieve this. This will include programs meant to service historically underserved, 

marginalized, or adversely affected groups with a particular focus on QCT’s. Doing so allow the 

design and delivery of these services to generate outcomes that close gaps, reach universal 

levels of service, and disaggregating progress by race, ethnicity, and other relevant equity

areas. The City will also use both qualitative and quantitative data to assess outcomes and 

determine that there is progress towards the important goal of equity. 

The City has focused expenditures to-date on payroll costs incurred by Public Safety employees 

providing medical services to members of the community. Data related to service provided and 

paid for with SLFRF funds shows that 42% of medical call outs and 33% of all emergency 

service calls responded to by the Bakersfield Fire Department were in QCT areas of the City.

Community Engagement 

The City recognizes the need for outreach and engagement as it builds the various programs 

and services funded by the SLFRF. The City has recently conducted and will continue to 

conduct relevant community outreach in QCTs related to state and federal grant programs and 

the use of City funding that has been allocated for revitalization of disadvantaged communities. 

The City plans to leverage these connected outreach efforts to align and deploy SLFRF 

programs to greatest effect. Written, oral and other forms of feedback will be encouraged along 

with dialog with community-based organizations. There will be a specific focus on how to best 

serve people with significant barriers to services, including people of color, people with low 

incomes, limited English proficient populations, and other traditionally underserved groups.

Labor Practices 

Potential infrastructure projects will be pursued using strong labor standards that will result in 

high-quality facilities. The City’s standard practice when planning for these types of federally 

funded projects focus on project labor agreements that offer wages at or above the prevailing 

rate and include local hire provisions, not only to promote effective and efficient delivery of 

high-quality infrastructure projects but also to support economic recovery through strong 

employment opportunities for workers. The City continues to gather information and 

evaluate the needs of the community but will formulate plans for Water, Sewer, and 

Broadband infrastructure in time. 

Use of Evidence 

When applicable, the City will identify if and when SLFRF funds are to be used for evidencebased interventions and/or if projects will be assessed through program evaluations that are 

designed to build evidence. Currently, staff is still reviewing options for programs and services 

that will be provided through this funding source, so the metrics have not been established.

Similar to our approach with Community Engagement, the City will look to leverage evidencebased interventions that are already in place or that are being deployed through other funding 

sources and initiatives that will be well-aligned with the intent and parameters for SLFRF funds.
City of Bakersfield 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 4

Current projects and related expenditures focus on actual medical services provided and the 

related outputs are reported in the Project Inventory section of the current Performance Plan. 

The use of an evidenced-based intervention does not appear to be applicable for these services 

but the needs for other programs as they are established will assess the applicability in the 

future.

Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category

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

5,151,038 $5,151,038

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*
City of Bakersfield 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 5

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

5.6 Clean Water: Stormwater
City of Bakersfield 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 6

Category Cumulative

expenditures to 

date ($)

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan

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)
City of Bakersfield 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 7

Project Inventory 

Project [Identification Number]: GARP30 – ARPA - Public Safety 

Funding amount: $7,000,000

Project Expenditure Category: EC-1.9 Public Health

Project overview

The City of Bakersfield Fire Department has provided emergency medical services to the 

community since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The SLFRF funds budgeted in 

the project cover a portion of the costs incurred by Fire Department staff based on the 

monthly EMS callouts. These costs are only covering the applicable percentage of the

department’s Fire Fighting division and do not include the costs of the Administration, 

Training, Arson, or other ancillary operations. 

Use of Evidence

The services covered under this project are demand based and are in direct response to 

emergency needs in the community. The City must continue to provide these services as the 

pandemic has not diminished and instead has seen another spike. The project is one where 

evidenced-based intervention tracking is considered not applicable or necessary. That said 

we have provided data of the EMS calls responded to in the Performance Report section of 

the report below. 

Performance Report

GARP30 - APRA Public Safety 

(April 2021 - July 2021)

FIRE EMS CALLS

 

7,061 

FIRE EMS CALLS IN A QCT

 

2,980 

CALLS SUSPECTED OR 

CONFIRMED AS COVID-19

 

2,180