Supervisors approve small ARPA reallocations, direct staff to pursue broadband, radio interoperability and nonprofit RFQ

FAIRFIELD — The Solano County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously May 7 to approve a trio of staff‑proposed reallocation items from the county's ARPA portfolio and to give the county administrator authority to sign amendments and other agreements needed to obligate those dollars.

Megan Richards, a principal management analyst in the county administrator's office, told the board that about $65 million of the county's ARPA funding had already been obligated but that "you have about 20, nearly 22,000,000 that is not yet obligated that needs to be in the next three quarters." She framed the reallocation requests as a way to move dollars where need has arisen as pandemic-era priorities changed.

The specific approvals the board adopted by a 5‑0 vote included the staff requests to move a total of $279,882 among workforce‑development and small‑business projects and a modest water‑infrastructure shift needed to complete a municipal connection in Rio Vista. The board also delegated authority to the county administrator to execute contract amendments and other paperwork so the obligations can be recorded with the U.S. Treasury in time to meet ARPA deadlines.

Several residents urged the board to consider other local priorities as staff continues to identify projects to obligate remaining funds. "I respectfully request that the ARPA money — that our senior center might be considered for those ARPA money to become ADA compliant," said Michelle Chavez, a caller during the public‑comment period. Suisun City residents and the Solano County Fairgrounds also asked the board to consider funding repairs at local community hubs and resiliency sites.

Board members also discussed larger near‑term priorities staff will return to the board to flesh out, including radio interoperability for public‑safety communications, broadband projects that require state matching awards, and augmenting the existing homelessness prevention pot. Supervisors emphasized speed in selecting projects that can be obligated before the Treasury deadlines and signaled interest in letting staff develop an RFQ (request for qualifications) for nonprofit organizations so that community groups can bid for unobligated dollars.

Supervisor remarks and the staff presentation made clear the board sees three parallel tracks: (1) close gaps on projects already in the pipeline, (2) prepare procurement/selection if additional funds become available, and (3) pursue public‑safety and broadband options that may require county match. The motion approved by the board directed staff to return with more detailed proposals on those items and to proceed with the contract amendments needed to obligate the $279,882 approved at this meeting.

Next steps: staff will prepare contract paperwork and return with more detailed proposals for radio interoperability, broadband match strategies, and an RFQ framework for nonprofit grants; the board asked for follow‑ups at upcoming June meetings so obligations can be recorded before federal deadlines.