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) declared the virus to be a severe public health threat. As of November 6, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 48,534,508 confirmed cases of COVID-19 leading to 1,231,017 deaths in 206 countries. As of November 5, 2020, Washoe County reported 14,819 confirmed cases and 204 deaths.

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 September 29, 2020, the Washoe County School District (WCSD) provided the City of Sparks with a request for grant funding to support the district’s efforts to implement three food delivery models in addition to the traditional cafeteria lunch service model to accommodate the new social distancing practices. The grant is intended to support the WCSD’s efforts in meeting the nutrition needs of students attending WCSD schools in Sparks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds shall be used to acquire the nutrition services materials and equipment identified in Exhibit 1 to the grant agreement.

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 29, 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 the nutrition needs of students is in 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 costs 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.   Council may ratify the agreement as recommended.

2.   Council may reject the agreement and provide direction to the City Manager.

I move to ratify agreement (AC-5714) for a grant award from the City of Sparks to the Washoe County School District in the amount of $58,600.