Madera County accepts $10 million Strategic Growth Council grant to build Community Resilience Center, board approves partnerships

Madera County supervisors voted to accept a $10,000,000 Strategic Growth Council grant to develop a Community Resilience Center and authorized partnership agreements with county departments and local nonprofit organizations.

Sarah Boss, director of Public Health, told the board the grant will fund a facility “aimed at climate and community resilience” that combines emergency shelter capacity with year‑round programs such as mental health support groups, nutrition education, workforce development and climate‑smart demonstration landscaping. “This center would serve as the first 24‑hour emergency shelter in Madera County,” Boss said.

The center is planned for a county‑owned parcel adjacent to the county public health and social services campus and across from Virginia Le Rose School. Boss said planned features include indoor/outdoor multipurpose space, a commercial kitchen, shower and sleeping facilities for overnight sheltering, office space for behavioral health administration and a community garden. She said the Strategic Growth Council requires evidence of partnership among local agencies and community‑based organizations as part of the grant application.

Board members asked how partnerships would work and whether partners would have financial obligations; Boss said the partnership agreement is nonbinding as to partner funding and is intended to demonstrate collaborative planning. She said some partner organizations — including Madera Food Bank and LiveWell Madera County — have been invited to join the project work group.

Several supervisors expressed concerns about wording in the staff report that used terms such as “social equity” and “climate resilience.” One supervisor said that language raised political questions and asked for clearer definitions of programs and services. Boss responded by outlining concrete program examples — emergency preparedness training, energy and water conservation classes, mental health outreach and nutrition education — and emphasized that programming decisions would be developed with community partners and the project work group.

In response to requests for further board oversight, the board amended the motion to require that specific programs and services developed for the center be returned to the board for review before final program approvals. Staff said a second grant application (through the Sierra San Joaquin Jobs Initiative) would be brought forward to fund staffing to develop programs. The board also discussed outreach to a broad set of community organizations (ministerial groups, Rotary, Lions, school district and others) and asked staff to ensure wide representation on the work group.

The board approved the actions — accepting the Strategic Growth Council grant and entering the partnership agreement as presented, with the condition that proposed programs return to the board for approval before being finalized — by a 4‑0 roll call vote. The roll call recorded Supervisor Gonzales, Supervisor Warmho, Supervisor Rogers and Chairman Poitras voting yes; one supervisor was absent.

Supporters said the center would address gaps in emergency preparedness, shelter capacity and community gathering space in areas of town that currently lack large public venues. Staff emphasized the facility is intended for countywide use while locating it on a county parcel that serves disadvantaged communities under SB 535 criteria.

The board directed staff to continue community outreach, include board members in work‑group engagement, and return with program details for board review prior to final program approval.