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Council approves CalFire urban‑tree grant; approves contract with Capital Advocacy to manage reporting
Summary
City accepted a CalFire-funded grant to plant roughly 1,300 trees and approved a contract with Capital Advocacy to manage fiduciary reporting and drawdowns. Council members raised concerns about oversight, grant reporting history and timing; Capital Advocacy representatives said their management covers the full grant period.
The Series City Council approved acceptance of a significant state‑level urban forestry grant and authorized a contract with Capital Advocacy to manage the grant's reporting and drawdowns.
Staff said the CalFire grant would fund planting roughly 1,300 trees across the city and surrounding areas, with a total award in the range of $1.08 million. The council was told the federal and state reporting cadence requires monthly financial reports and frequent drawdowns; staff said the grant's timeline is compressed after delays in federal funding and that specialized grant management is advisable to meet reporting deadlines.
Capital Advocacy principal Dana Deont told council the firm will act as the city's fiduciary agent, handle monthly reporting, and help with drawdowns and compliance. "That will cover the two‑and‑a‑half-year management period," Deont said. She described coalition advocacy work that the group said helped unfreeze the funding.
Council members pressed for assurances about compliance and asked about past instances when the city returned grant funds because of reporting issues. Capital Advocacy said their proposal includes ongoing compliance monitoring and a newly expanded grant‑management team. City staff noted the city was not aware of the grant award when the fiscal year budget was adopted and that the contract is intended to ensure timely delivery and reimbursement.
On roll call, council approved acceptance of the CalFire award and authorized the contract with Capital Advocacy; separate consent motions passed item 18 (grant acceptance) and item 19 (contract) after public questions and discussion. Councilmember James Casey abstained on the contract vote; other members voted yes. Staff will work with Capital Advocacy on a detailed implementation schedule and required monthly reporting to CalFire.
