Mono County Health and Human Services on Tuesday outlined an emergency plan to support residents whose federal CalFresh (SNAP) benefits have been delayed while state and federal systems implement temporary issuance tables.

HHS Director Kathy Peterson told supervisors that the federal funds for SNAP do not pass through the county but go from USDA to state systems and then to recipients’ EBT cards; California must build temporary system “issuance tables” before USDA partial payments can be loaded. That process could take one to three weeks after federal funds are released and the payments would be phased in over about 10 days, Peterson said.

To reduce immediate hardship, staff recommended offering prepaid grocery cards equal to up to half of a household’s October CalFresh benefit and requested board approval to allocate up to $100,000 from vacancy savings to fund the program and $5,000 to augment county pantry supplies. Peterson explained that the county would contact recipients who aren’t signed up for text or email alerts, set short forms and releases for card issuance, and direct remaining card funds to local food support if federal benefits resume.

Community Service Solutions, a local nonprofit, has already mobilized food deliveries in Lee Vining and June Lake and was identified as a partner to reach remote households and tribes; Amanda Phillips, the nonprofit’s CEO, described rapid deployments of food packs and plans for additional deliveries.

Board action: Supervisors approved appropriation and budget adjustments and set aside vacancy savings with authorization to use up to $100,000 for emergency food assistance related to the CalFresh disruption (roll call 5‑0). Chairman Salcedo and the board directed staff to proceed with the plan and report back as needed.

Who spoke (first references): Kathy Peterson, Director of Health and Human Services; Amanda Phillips, CEO, Community Service Solutions; Stephanie Trujillo, Budget Officer.

Context and limits: Staff stressed this is a temporary, emergency measure intended to bridge a gap in federal benefit issuance; the county cannot directly deposit federal SNAP benefits and has no authority to change federal eligibility. Prepaid grocery cards will be restricted by vendor availability in remote areas; in some north‑county locations the county plans to use vendor‑agnostic prepaid cards usable at local authorized stores or in nearby Nevada.

What happens next: Staff will purchase cards immediately if allowed by contract processes, coordinate with the town of Mammoth Lakes (which may contribute) and nonprofits for distribution, and return to the board with any adjustments.