In December 2019, a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared the virus to be a severe public health threat. As of August 28, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 24,299,923 confirmed cases of COVID-19 leading to 827,730 deaths in 206 countries: 7,024 of those cases and 136 of those deaths were reported in Washoe County. 

On March 15, 2020, the City Manager declared a state of emergency in the City of Sparks related to the global outbreak of COVID-19. 

On April 1, 2020 Governor Sislolak issued a stay at home order for Nevada. 

On July 27, 2020 the City Council provided direction to the City Manager for possible uses of CARES Act funding received by the City of Sparks that included general uses of the funds related to community assistance.

On August 26, 2020 the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, provided the City of Sparks with a request for grant funding to support their efforts in meeding the food and nutritional needs of individuals and families facing food insecurity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Sections 1.30.010 and 2.20.025 of the Sparks Municipal Code empower the City Manager to proclaim the existence of a local state of emergency and to request state and federal assistance when the City of Sparks is affected by, or in imminent danger of, a public calamity and the City Council is not in session. State law authorizes local governments responding to an emergency to “enter into contracts and incur obligations necessary to combat such an emergency or disaster, protect the health and safety of persons and property and provide emergency assistance to the victims of such an emergency or disaster.” NRS 414.090(3).  On March 15, 2020 the City Manager declared a state of emergency in the City of Sparks related to the global outbreak of Covid-19.

On October 14, 2020 the City Manager authorized the grant award for the following reasons:

• The terms and conditions of the grant award  have been reviewed by staff and deemed acceptable.
• The  grant will provide services needed by the community due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Providing resources to address food security is the best interest of the health and safety of our citizens.
• The services provided through the grant are needed and time is of the essence.
• The use of CARES Act funds are appropriate to pay the cost included in the grant agreement; the grant award is a necessary expenditure due to the public health emergency, the costs were not accounted for in the City’s FY20 or FY21 budgets, the costs will be incurred during the period of March 1, 2020 and December 30, 2020, and the use of CARES Act funds are not being used to offset a revenue shortfall caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. City Council may ratify the agreement as recommended.
2. City Council may regect the agreement and provide direction to the City Manager.

I move to ratify agreement (AC- 5709) for a grant award from the City of Sparks to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada in the amount of $75,000.